AlUkhdud Archaeological Site
The oasis city of Najran was a major trade center at least since the 8th century BCE until the 1st century CE. The large archeological site of Al-Ukhdood on the south of the modern city testifies of this rich past. The name of Al-Ukhdood, which means the ditch (or trench) in Arabic, comes from the Surah Al-Burooj of the Quran which praises a group of believers who were burnt alive by the “People of the Ditch” (in Arabic “Ashab Al-Ukhdood”) because they refuse to renounce to their believe in God.