Nearly 300 inscriptions
On society, faith and farming.
Z thomas — CC BY 4.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Z thomas — CC BY 4.0 · Prof. Mortel — CC BY 2.0
An archaeological site in the AlUla oasis near the ancient city of Dadan: a sandstone mountain whose rock corridors are carved with a large collection of ancient inscriptions and drawings, mainly linked to the Dadanite and Lihyanite civilisations. Most date from the second half of the first millennium BCE. The mountain holds nearly 300 inscriptions on society, religion, rituals, farming and remembrance, written in pre-Nabataean Arabian languages such as Dadanitic, Thamudic, Minaic and Aramaic. They are a key source for the study of how the languages and scripts of north-western Arabia developed. In 2023 UNESCO inscribed «Arabian Chronicles in Stone: Jabal Ikmah» on its Memory of the World Register, describing it as the largest collection of well-preserved Dadanitic inscriptions in the world. Jabal Ikmah is visited on the Dadan and Jabal Ikmah tour: the guided tour starts at 60 SAR per person according to the official site, takes two to three hours including transfers and leaves from the Winter Park bus stop. It is not suitable for wheelchairs.
On society, faith and farming.
The largest collection.
Between sandstone walls.
AlUla oasis, near Dadan
On the Dadan and Jabal Ikmah tour; the guided version starts at 60 SAR per person according to the official site and takes two to three hours.