Tourexpi
The spectacular mountain and its sandstone canyons feature more
than 300 historically significant carved inscriptions, most of which date from
the second half of the first millennium BCE. The site features the largest
collection of inscriptions recording the ancient Dadanite Kingdom's religious
rituals, daily activities, and relations with neighboring peoples.
As part of its role in delivering Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030,
RCU is heavily investing in the study and conservation of sites such as Jabal
Ikmah, an open-air library situated in the world's largest living museum. These
efforts to enhance the world's understanding of Jabal Ikmah, while improving visitors'
access in a sustainable way, have contributed to this public affirmation by
UNESCO of the magnitude and international significance of AlUla's documentary
heritage.
José Ignacio Gallego Revilla, Executive Director of the Kingdoms
Institute, Archaeology, Heritage Research, and Conservation Department at the
Royal Commission for AlUla, said: "The significance of Jabal Ikmah's
inscriptions transcends regional boundaries to reach the level of global
relevance, in particular as part of the evolution of Old Arabic languages and
dialects. Their authenticity and integrity, both for the information preserved
about ancient societies as well as the conservation of the site, bring together
the essentials that make this place unique for the Memory of the World as the
chronicle of a lost time through the largest number of inscriptions in an
Ancient North Arabian script."
As a crossroads on the incense and pilgrimage routes, the AlUla oasis
was a hub of commercial and cultural exchange. It hosted merchants of myrrh,
frankincense, and other precious commodities. This cultural richness propelled
the growth of settlements, including Dadan. The Dadanite Kingdom flourished and
developed its own alphabet form of the South Semitic writing system. The
Dadanites then recorded their history through petroglyphs carved into the
sloping red and yellow sandstone rocks of AlUla. The greatest concentration of
inscriptions is sheltered in the gorge of Jabal Ikmah, which is characteristic
of AlUla's jagged landscape formed by tectonic movements that date to the
opening of the Red Sea 30 million years ago.
Many of Jabal Ikmah's inscriptions reflect a variety of subjects such as
rituals, kings, animals and agriculture, key to the story of AlUla's past.
Conservation of such landmarks is central to RCU's vision for the future of
AlUla, which emphasizes the region's cultural heritage as both a beacon for
tourism and a springboard for innovation and economic benefits that raise the
quality of life for the community.
The listing builds on RCU's existing partnership with UNESCO. RCU's
global network of partners for culture, which also includes ICOMOS, the Louvre
Museum and the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (Afalula), plays a
vital role in the regeneration of AlUla County as a leading global destination
for cultural and natural heritage.
RCU is establishing the Kingdoms Institute as a global hub for
archaeology, heritage research and conservation. Currently active as a research
organisation, the institute will have a permanent base in the Dadan district of
AlUla, a site that by 2035 is expected to be a prime destination for two
million visitors a year attracted largely by its rich heritage.
Image Credit: © RCU
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