Elephant Rock

Northern Saudi Arabia


Arabia's only 'elephant' is a huge red rock three storeys in height. The enormous 'body' connects to a slimmer 'trunk' that bulges in just the right areas to resemble the profile of a giant elephant, minus the tusks. This uncanny likeness sits in a desert surrounded by other magnificent red rocks, equally distorted by a millennia of exposure. If you look around, you'll see the elephant isn't the only thing the imagination can conjure in a place like this. Can you see the faceless sphinx?

It's 11km northeast of Al Ula, just off Route 70 (the road to Hail), and difficult to access without a 4WD.