A Dream of Alula | Bensimon Gilles

A visual exploration of fabled landscapes and historical gems, this magnificent volume celebrates the rich culture of AlUla, Saudi Arabia, through the lens of Gilles Bensimon.

The AlUla valley is a natural, historical, and cultural site in northwestern Saudi Arabia, located in the Medina Region on the ancient Incense Route. It is home to grandiose natural landscapes, oases, and ancient settlements. The country s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising exceptionally preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut out of sandstone outcrops, it s a hidden treasure awaiting to be discovered. A journey through space, time, and the senses, this oversized tome offers the unique experience of traveling to a mythical land and little-known paradise. Exclusive images by the acclaimed French photographer Gilles Bensimon reveal the poetic aspects and magnificence of age-old desert landscapes and highlight the lives that they are home to. From lush green oases to barren expanses; from drifting sand to basalt uplands; from geomorphological wonders to millennia-old inscriptions; from elaborate pre-Islamic tombs to Bedouins going about their daily lives and camels racing alongside cars these are just some of the unforgettable scenes of AlUla.