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==Memories==
==Memories==
   "ModeScreen_Contents_Long": {
===Intro===
     "english": "Step into AlUla in Saudi Arabia, and explore the history and heritage of this land as it was recreated in the world of Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory.",
   "Intro_Screen_Contents": {
     "english": "Welcome to AlUla, a land marked by ancient civilisations and shaped by a unique natural evolution. ​\n\nYou need to decipher an ancient inscription. It appears to be written in the language of the Nabataeans, one of the civilisations that occupied this land many centuries ago. ​\n\nTravel across the valley, gain knowledge and help people in the region. In exchange, they will provide you with fragments of different inscriptions that you can use to decipher the ancient inscription.",


   "ModeScreen_Title": {
   "Toast_Map_Start_1": {
     "english": "ALULA",
     "english": "Hello, I am Roshan and I will guide you throughout your missions.",


   "Access_Codex_BTN": {
   "Toast_Map_Start_2": {
     "english": "Access Codex",
     "english": "When you are ready, check your map and head to the diwan of Ithlib Mountain to start your first mission. ​",


   "Access_Codex_BTN_Subtitle": {
   "TUT_Map_Objective_Content_1": {
     "english": "Consult encyclopedic entries about the history and heritage of AlUla.",
     "english": "In order to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription, you will have to complete eight missions, helping different people across AlUla. In return, they will give you fragments of other inscriptions, which you will have to use to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription. \n\n\nOnce completed, each mission will be marked as completed in the mission tracker.",


   "Access_Timeline_BTN": {
   "TUT_Map_Objective_Content_2": {
     "english": "Enter Chronology ",
     "english": "Each mission takes place in a different location on the map. The icons across the map show where the locations are. \n\nIn each location, you will gain the knowledge needed to complete the mission. ",


  "Access_Timeline_BTN_Subtitle": {
===Mission 1===
    "english": "Follow the timeline of the milestones that have shaped AlUla from prehistoric times up to today. ",
   "Location_1": {
 
     "english": "Diwan of Ithlib Mountain",
  "Explore_Alula_BTN": {
    "english": "Explore AlUla",
 
  "Explore_Alula_BTN_Subtitle": {
    "english": "Embark on a story across this land, completing eight missions to decipher a mysterious ancient inscription. ",
 
  "Item_1_Name": {
    "english": "The Arabian Ostrich",
 
  "Item_2_Name": {
    "english": "Food in AlUla",
 
  "Item_3_Name": {
    "english": "The Melody Makers",
 
  "Item_4_Name": {
    "english": "The Triclinium",
 
  "Item_5_Name": {
    "english": "The Overlook Fortress",
 
  "Item_6_Name": {
    "english": "The Thriving Town",
 
  "Item_7_Name": {
    "english": "Masjid Al'Itham",
 
  "Item_8_Name": {
    "english": "Sanctuary Ruins",
 
  "Item_10_Name": {
    "english": "Farming the Oasis",
 
  "Item_11_Name": {
    "english": "Tantora",
 
  "Item_12_Name": {
    "english": "Dadanites, Lihyanites & Nabataeans",
 
  "Item_9_Name": {
    "english": "Flora of the Oasis",
 
  "Item_13_Name": {
    "english": "Carving for the Ages",
 
  "Item_14_Name": {
    "english": "A City Surrounded by the Dead and the Gods",
 
  "Item_15_Name": {
    "english": "Hegra",
 
  "Item_16_Name": {
    "english": "The Ones that Defied Time",
 
  "Item_17_Name": {
    "english": "Shapes in the Sandstone",
 
  "Item_18_Name": {
    "english": "The Nomadic World",
 
   "Item_19_Name": {
     "english": "Stargazing",
 
  "Item_20_Name": {
    "english": "Leopards of Arabia",
 
  "Item_21_Name": {
    "english": "Life of a merchant",
 
  "Item_22_Name": {
    "english": "The Old Town",
 
  "Item_23_Name": {
    "english": "The Incense Road",
 
  "Item_24_Name": {
    "english": "Frankincense",
 
  "Item_25_Name": {
    "english": "Remembrance of the Forgotten",
 
  "Item_26_Name": {
    "english": "A Crossroads of Cultural Influences",
 
  "Item_27_Name": {
    "english": "Rites of Passage",
 
  "Item_28_Name": {
    "english": "Tayyarahs",
 
  "Item_29_Name": {
    "english": "Mastering the Water",
 
  "Item_30_Name": {
    "english": "The Path to Eternity",
 
  "Item_31_Name": {
    "english": "Memory of an Old Civilization",
 
  "Item_32_Name": {
    "english": "Prehistoric Life",
 
  "Item_33_Name": {
    "english": "The Romans in AlUla",
 
  "Item_34_Name": {
    "english": "Heritage and Archaeology",
 
  "Item_35_Name": {
    "english": "Ramm Valley",
 
  "End_Screen_Contents": {
    "english": "Congratulations! You have deciphered the inscription and completed your journey in AlUla. ​\n\nIf you want to replay the story and continue to explore AlUla, please go to the Settings menu and clear your progress.​",
 
  "Intro_Screen_Contents": {
    "english": "Welcome to AlUla, a land marked by ancient civilisations and shaped by a unique natural evolution. ​\n\nYou need to decipher an ancient inscription. It appears to be written in the language of the Nabataeans, one of the civilisations that occupied this land many centuries ago. ​\n\nTravel across the valley, gain knowledge and help people in the region. In exchange, they will provide you with fragments of different inscriptions that you can use to decipher the ancient inscription.",


   "Mission_1_Description": {
   "Mission_1_Description": {
Line 509: Line 394:
   "[1]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[1]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
     "english": "Music",
     "english": "Music",
===Mission 2===
  "Location_2": {
    "english": "The Old Town",


   "Mission_2_Description": {
   "Mission_2_Description": {
Line 632: Line 521:
   "[2]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[2]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
     "english": "Peaceful Area",
     "english": "Peaceful Area",
===Mission 3===
  "Location_3": {
    "english": "The Oasis",


   "Mission_3_Description": {
   "Mission_3_Description": {
Line 755: Line 648:
   "[3]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[3]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
     "english": "Wait until it gets colder",
     "english": "Wait until it gets colder",
===Mission 4===
  "Location_4": {
    "english": "Lion Tombs",


   "Mission_4_Description": {
   "Mission_4_Description": {
Line 877: Line 774:


   "[4]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[4]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
    "english": "Elephant Rock",
===Mission 5===
  "Location_5": {
     "english": "Elephant Rock",
     "english": "Elephant Rock",


Line 1,001: Line 902:
   "[5]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[5]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
     "english": "Bandits",
     "english": "Bandits",
===Mission 6===
  "Location_6": {
    "english": "Tent Encampment",


   "Mission_6_Description": {
   "Mission_6_Description": {
Line 1,124: Line 1,029:
   "[6]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[6]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
     "english": "Brothers and Sisters",
     "english": "Brothers and Sisters",
===Mission 7===
  "Location_7": {
    "english": "AlBanat Mountain",


   "Mission_7_Description": {
   "Mission_7_Description": {
Line 1,247: Line 1,156:
   "[7]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "[7]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
     "english": "Carried from the Oasis",
     "english": "Carried from the Oasis",
===Mission 8===
  "Location_8": {
    "english": "Ikmah Mountain ",


   "Mission_8_Description": {
   "Mission_8_Description": {
Line 1,371: Line 1,284:
     "english": "Wind and Rain",
     "english": "Wind and Rain",


  "Choice": {
===Finale===
    "english": "Choice",
   "End_Screen_Contents": {
 
     "english": "Congratulations! You have deciphered the inscription and completed your journey in AlUla. ​\n\nIf you want to replay the story and continue to explore AlUla, please go to the Settings menu and clear your progress.​",
  "Location_1": {
    "english": "Diwan of Ithlib Mountain",
 
  "Location_2": {
    "english": "The Old Town",
 
  "Location_3": {
    "english": "The Oasis",
 
  "Location_4": {
    "english": "Lion Tombs",
 
  "Location_5": {
    "english": "Elephant Rock",
 
  "Location_6": {
    "english": "Tent Encampment",
 
  "Location_7": {
    "english": "AlBanat Mountain",
 
   "Location_8": {
     "english": "Ikmah Mountain ",
 
  "Mission_Outcome": {
    "english": "Mission Outcome",
 
  "Mission_Overview": {
    "english": "Mission Overview",
 
  "Outcome": {
    "english": "Outcome",


   "Toast_FinalGame_1": {
   "Toast_FinalGame_1": {
     "english": "Well done! You have gathered all the fragments you will need to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription. Click on the button at the centre to start.  ​",
     "english": "Well done! You have gathered all the fragments you will need to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription. Click on the button at the centre to start.  ​",


  "Toast_FinalMissionActive_1": {
    "english": "Good job! You only need one more fragment to be able to translate the ancient inscription. ​",
  "Toast_FinalMissionActive_2": {
    "english": "There is a scholar at Ikmah Mountain that needs your help. Head to the area I have marked on your map to complete the last mission. ",
  "Toast_FirstMissionFinished_1": {
    "english": "Excellent work! You need to complete seven more missions to be able to decipher the ancient inscription.",
  "Toast_FirstMissionFinished_2": {
    "english": "Check the remaining locations on your map to start your next mission. ​",
  "Toast_FourMissionsFinished_1": {
    "english": "Fantastic progress! You are halfway through gathering the fragments of inscriptions you need to translate the ancient inscription.​",
  "Toast_Location_FirstEntry_2": {
    "english": "There are four pieces of knowledge for you to gather here.",
  "Toast_Map_Start_1": {
    "english": "Hello, I am Roshan and I will guide you throughout your missions.",
  "Toast_Map_Start_2": {
    "english": "When you are ready, check your map and head to the diwan of Ithlib Mountain to start your first mission. ​",
  "Mission_Tracker_Content_1": {
    "english": "You can see the current progress of your missions here. ",
  "Mission_Tracker_Content_2": {
    "english": "Pinch and drag to explore all the missions on the board.",
  "Mission_Tracker_Content_3": {
    "english": "Tap on a mission icon to view your progress. You can also replay a completed mission and try to achieve a different outcome.",
  "Mission_Tracker_Header": {
    "english": "Mission Tracker",
  "TUT_Map_Objective_Content_1": {
    "english": "In order to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription, you will have to complete eight missions, helping different people across AlUla. In return, they will give you fragments of other inscriptions, which you will have to use to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription. \n\n\nOnce completed, each mission will be marked as completed in the mission tracker.",
  "TUT_Map_Objective_Content_2": {
    "english": "Each mission takes place in a different location on the map. The icons across the map show where the locations are. \n\nIn each location, you will gain the knowledge needed to complete the mission. ",
  "TUT_Map_Objective_Subtitle_1": {
    "english": "Missions",
  "TUT_Map_Objective_Subtitle_2": {
    "english": "Locations",
  "TUT_Map_Objective_Title": {
    "english": "Objective",
  "Tutorial": {
    "english": "Tutorial",
  "Begin_Mission_BTN": {
    "english": "Start Mission",
  "Codex_Search": {
    "english": "Search...",
  "Codex_Tag": {
    "english": "Knowledge",
  "Codex_Title_Credits": {
    "english": "Credits",
  "Confirm_BTN": {
    "english": "Confirm",
  "Continue_BTN": {
    "english": "Continue",
  "Gather_Intel_BTN": {
    "english": "Gain Knowledge",
  "Knowledge_Content": {
    "english": "Knowledge needed",
  "Replay_Mission_BTN": {
    "english": "Replay Mission",
  "Replay_Mission_Confirm": {
    "english": "Do you want to replay this mission? Your previous choices and outcomes will be overwritten.",
  "Codex_Title": {
    "english": "Codex",
  "LocationModal_Title": {
    "english": "Location",
  "Tracker_Title": {
    "english": "Tracker",
  "World_Title": {
    "english": "World",
  "AR_Caution_Content": {
    "english": "While using Augmented Reality, make sure you're in a safe location and any children are supervised at all times.",
  "AR_Caution_Title": {
    "english": "Caution",
  "AR_Title_Pinch": {
    "english": "Pinch to Scale",
  "AR_Title_Scan": {
    "english": "Scan Surface",
  "AR_Title_Tap": {
    "english": "Tap to Place",
  "ClearData_Content": {
    "english": "All progress in missions, locations and collected knowledge will be reset. Your app settings will be preserved.",
  "ClearData_Title": {
    "english": "Clear Data",
  "Settings_Copy_2": {
    "english": "Change all interface text to use a single, easy-to-read font throughout the experience.",
  "Settings_Copy_3": {
    "english": "When enabled, supported Codex items can be viewed in augmented reality. When disabled, they can be viewed in a 3D environment. (Augmented reality is automatically disabled on incompatible devices.)",
  "Settings_Copy_4": {
    "english": "When enabled, Toasts will automatically close toast after 10 seconds",
  "Settings_Option_ARContent": {
    "english": "AR Content",
  "Settings_Option_AllSounds": {
    "english": "All Sounds",
  "Settings_Option_ClearerText": {
    "english": "Clearer Text",
  "Settings_Option_Cutscenes": {
    "english": "Cutscenes",
  "Settings_Option_Effects": {
    "english": "Sound Effects",
  "Settings_Option_Lang": {
    "english": "Language",
  "Settings_Option_Music": {
    "english": "Music",
  "Settings_Option_Off": {
    "english": "Off",
  "Settings_Option_On": {
    "english": "On",
  "Settings_Option_SkipToasts": {
    "english": "Close Toasts",
  "Settings_Option_UI": {
    "english": "UI",
  "Settings_Subtitle_1": {
    "english": "Language & Sound",
  "Settings_Subtitle_2": {
    "english": "Accessibility",
  "Settings_Subtitle_3": {
    "english": "Extra",
  "Settings_Title": {
    "english": "Settings",
  "Chapter_1": {
    "english": "A Cultural Hub",
  "Chapter_2": {
    "english": "A Natural Wonder",
  "Chapter_3": {
    "english": "Connecting the World",
  "Chapter_4": {
    "english": "Life in the Oasis",
  "Chapter_5": {
    "english": "Honoring the Dead",
  "High_Skill": {
    "english": "Perfect",
  "Hint": {
    "english": "Hint",
  "Low_Skill": {
    "english": "Adequate",
  "Medium_Skill": {
    "english": "Skilful",
  "Mission_Complete": {
    "english": "Mission Complete",
  "Translation_Gained": {
    "english": "Fragment Collected",
  "Step_1": {
    "english": "Step 1",
  "Step_2": {
    "english": "Step 2",
  "Step_3": {
    "english": "Step 3",
  "Tap_Content": {
    "english": "Tap to access knowledge",
  "LocationComplete_Modal": {
    "english": "You now have all the knowledge needed to complete the mission. At any time, click on the Information icon in the top right corner to see which Codex entries can help you.",
  "Popup_Content_HiddenPath": {
    "english": "In order to gain this knowledge, you need to carefully plan your route forward.",
  "Popup_Content_Irrigation": {
    "english": "In order to gain this knowledge, you need to create irrigation canals.",
  "Popup_Content_Oud": {
    "english": "In order to gain this knowledge, you need to play the stringed instrument called oud.",
  "Popup_Content_Stars": {
    "english": "In order to gain this knowledge, you need to learn how to read the night sky.",
  "Popup_Title_HiddenPath": {
    "english": "Hidden Path",
  "Popup_Title_Irrigation": {
    "english": "Irrigation",
  "Popup_Title_Oud": {
    "english": "Oud",
  "Popup_Title_Stars": {
    "english": "Stargazing",
  "TUT_Locations_Content_1": {
    "english": "Start by gathering knowledge. You will need it to complete the mission. \n\nLook around by swiping across the screen, then tap the glowing markers to collect them.\n\nYou will need to play some minigames in order to gather some of the items. ",
  "TUT_Locations_Content_2": {
    "english": "The knowledge you gain will appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap each item to learn more about it and prepare for your mission.",
  "TUT_Locations_Content_3": {
    "english": "Some knowledge may be hidden from plain sight. Tap on this icon to activate your eagle vision, which allows you to locate it. Once you have found it, place the crosshair over the hidden item to collect it.",
  "TUT_Locations_Subtitle_1": {
    "english": "Gathering knowledge",
  "TUT_Locations_Subtitle_2": {
    "english": "Viewing Knowledge",
  "TUT_Locations_Subtitle_3": {
    "english": "Eagle Vision",
  "TUT_Locations_Title": {
    "english": "Locations",
  "Continue_Mission_BTN": {
    "english": "Continue Mission",
  "Play_BTN": {
    "english": "Play",
  "TUT_HiddenPath_Content_1": {
    "english": "Your goal is to recreate the sequence shown on the left side of the screen by passing through all the required markers.\n\nThe crest icon marks your starting point. From there, tap and drag to draw the correct path.\n\nYou must match each step on the left before selecting the next one.\n",
  "TUT_HiddenPath_Title": {
    "english": "Instructions",
  "Complete_EXP_Confirm": {
    "english": "This will complete the experience. Are you sure?",
  "Conclude_BTN": {
    "english": "Conclude",
  "Knowledge_Gathered_Content": {
    "english": "Well done! You completed the task successfully and have unlocked new knowledge. You will need to use this knowledge to complete the mission.",
  "Knowledge_Gathered_Header": {
    "english": "Knowledge Gathered ",
  "TUT_Stargazing_Content_1": {
    "english": "Your goal is to identify a constellation in the night sky of AlUla. \n\nTap and drag left or right to look around the sky.\n\nWhen you find a group of stars that aligns with the circles, lift your finger to lock in the constellation.",
  "TUT_Stargazing_Title": {
    "english": "Instructions",
  "TUT_Oud_Content_1": {
    "english": "Your goal is to play a melody on the oud.\n\nWhen a note lines up with the bar at the bottom, tap on the screen to play it.\n\nTap and hold when a note has a longer tail.",
  "TUT_Oud_Title": {
    "english": "Instructions",
  "TUT_Irrigation_Content_1": {
    "english": "Your goal is to connect the stream of water to its destination points.\n\nEach tile has to be connected in order to create a path for the water stream.\n\nTap and drag the block tiles to slide and rearrange them. ",
  "TUT_Irrigation_Title": {
    "english": "Instructions",


   "Final_inscription": {
   "Final_inscription": {
Line 1,824: Line 1,400:
     "english": "Once you have identified the matching symbol, select its correct meaning using the full translation of the inscription at the top.",
     "english": "Once you have identified the matching symbol, select its correct meaning using the full translation of the inscription at the top.",


   "TUT_Inscription_Title": {
===Misc===
     "english": "Instructions",
  "Toast_FirstMissionFinished_1": {
    "english": "Excellent work! You need to complete seven more missions to be able to decipher the ancient inscription.",
 
   "Toast_FirstMissionFinished_2": {
     "english": "Check the remaining locations on your map to start your next mission. ​",


   "Gather_Complete_Confirm": {
   "Toast_FourMissionsFinished_1": {
     "english": "Do you wish to finish gathering knowledge? This will complete the experience.",
     "english": "Fantastic progress! You are halfway through gathering the fragments of inscriptions you need to translate the ancient inscription.​",
 
  "Toast_FinalMissionActive_1": {
    "english": "Good job! You only need one more fragment to be able to translate the ancient inscription. ​",
 
  "Toast_FinalMissionActive_2": {
    "english": "There is a scholar at Ikmah Mountain that needs your help. Head to the area I have marked on your map to complete the last mission. ",

Revision as of 18:55, 17 September 2026

Timeline

  • Palaeolithic (c. 250,000 BCE)
    • The first anatomically modern humans (Homo Sapiens) migrate into the region. They are hunter-gatherers whose presence is evidenced by archaeological remains, notably in AlUla.
  • Neolithic (c. 6000–5000 BCE)
    • Livestock farming develops among mobile communities. The first megalithic structures appear, along with rock art depicting humans and animals.
  • Bronze Age (c. 3,000–1200 BCE)
    • Funerary constructions multiply, transforming the landscape.
  • Ancient Kingdoms of Dadan & Lihyan (c. 600 - 500 BCE)
    • The town of Dadan establishes itself as the capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms. Water management enables the development of agriculture, while the incense trade is a source of prosperity. The earliest North Arabian scripts emerge.
  • Nabataean Kingdom (c. 400 BCE–106 CE)
    • Access to the Mediterranean exposes the incense route to new cultural influences.
      The Nabataean kingdom extends across the region, making Hegra its southern capital. Spectacular tombs are carved into the rock.
  • Roman presence in Arabia Petraea (c. 100–600 CE)
    • The Nabataean kingdom is absorbed into the Roman Empire. A small fort is established at Hegra to protect the incense route.
  • Islamic Period – Qurh & Old Town (c. 650–1100)
    • Towns emerge: Qurh (c. 650–1100) and then the Old Town (c. 1,200–c. 1980), whose prosperity is driven by both trade and pilgrimages. Irrigation techniques reach their peak, supporting extensive local agriculture.
  • Advances in Pilgrim Travel (c. 1600 - 1900)
    • A fortress and other defensive structures are built to protect pilgrims, as well as a railway station and associated structures.
  • The Cultural Heritage (today)
    • Archaeological missions are carried out in AlUla. The site's extraordinary heritage is revealed to the entire world as part of a vast cultural promotion and preservation programme.

Codex

A Cultural Hub

Located about twenty kilometers north of the AlUla Oasis, the Hegra heritage site is an exceptional testimony to the region’s strategic position in antiquity and is the first place in Saudi Arabia to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. Hegra was not only an essential stop in Nabataean times on the Incense Route - a major path of travel between sources of frankincense and myrrh in southern Arabia, the Mediterranean world and elsewhere, through the Arabian Peninsula - but had also been a place of earlier human activities. It is a civilizational crossroads in terms of architecture, languages, and commercial goods, connecting Arabian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Hellenistic cultures. Additionally, it is an extraordinary heritage site, notably for its nearly 100 ornately carved tomb facades, creations of Nabataean culture in mostly the 1st century CE, and an extensive water management system. There are also numerous inscriptions testifying to multiple cultural influences of the region, including Dadanitic, Nabataean, Greek and Latin!

 "Item_15_Description": {    "english": "General view of Hegra, with two tombs in the foreground and Ithlib Mountain in the background.",
"Item_15_Credits": { "english": "Image:\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

Described as the \"open-air library\" of AlUla, the site of Ikmah Mountain offers an extraordinary dive into the past through several hundred inscriptions engraved and carved in relief on the rock faces. Most are in the Dadanitic language and estimated to have been written between 500 – 300 BCE. There are many kinds of messages – ritual formulas, including the still mysterious \"zll\" ceremony, and religious dedications, many of which mention offerings to the Lihyanite god, Dhu Ghaybah, asking for his protection for travel. There are also testimonies on agriculture, including requests for blessings and strong rains. Even if much remains mysterious, the inscriptions are rare testimonies of the life and beliefs of local populations as well as people passing through. While these inscriptions are almost all in Dadanitic, there are inscriptions elsewhere in AlUla in other languages including: Aramaic, Thamudic, Sabaic, Minaic, Nabataean, Greek, and Latin, as well as Arabic - its script developing from Nabataean. As writing is a vital milestone in the development of mankind, marking the transition from pre-history to history, the significance of Ikmah Mountain heritage transcends its national and regional boundaries to the level of global importance. \n\nIn recognition of this significance, the 'Jabal Ikmah' site was added to the UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register in 2023. "Item_31_Description": { "english": "Dadanitic inscriptions at Ikmah Mountain.", "Item_31_Credits": { "english": "Image:\ncirca 500 – 300 BCE\nIkmah Mountain, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: OCIANA Dadanitic Corpus, AH 46 (1) U 019",

Even today, it is challenging to clearly identify the chronology of the different authorities that dominated the AlUla region during the first millennium BCE. First, there was the Kingdom of Dadan, which developed the settlement center already established at Dadan. Around 500 or 400 BCE, the Kingdom of Lihyan seems to have come to power, further aggrandizing Dadan as its capital. Both kingdoms took advantage of the exceptional location on the incense road to connect southern Arabia to the Levant, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. The Lihyanites also developed a remarkable culture. In addition to using the local Dadanitic script to engrave and carve hundreds of inscriptions in stone across the area, impressive colossal statues were carved in a local sculptural style. It is uncertain when and how the Nabataean Kingdom, whose capital was at Petra, located in present-day Jordan, took control of the AlUla region, but it established its regional authority at Hegra, located about 20 km north of Dadan, by the middle of the 1st century BCE. Nabataean wealth also relied on long-distance trade, and its culture adopted and adapted various external influences, from places such as Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. Its craftsmen carved the magnificent tombs from the sandstone outcrops of Hegra. Although the Nabataean Kingdom was annexed by the Roman Empire in 106 CE, Nabataean culture thrived for centuries after. "Item_12_Description": { "english": "Two Liyhanite bronze coins and a Nabataean silver coin, in extraordinarily good condition, showing the King Aretas IV and his wife Huldu.", "Item_12_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\ncirca 5th – 1st century BCE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Mohammed Babelli, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\nInventory number RCU.2023.147\n\nImage 2:\ncirca 5th – 1st century BCE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.146\n\nImage 3:\n8–7 BCE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.11001.C.10",

Sometime in the later 1st millennium BCE, the Lihyanites established a sanctuary in Dadan where colossal stone statues of what are interpreted as Lihyanite kings stood tall. They demonstrated the excellence of Lihyanite sculpture, with Egyptian and Greek influences. Only ruins of the sanctuary remain today. A large stone basin, approximately 2 meters deep and hewn from a single huge boulder, was filled from a nearby well and was likely used for the worshippers’ ablutions. "Item_8_Description": { "english": "Male statue in sandstone from Dadan, possibly representing a Lihyanite king.", "Item_8_Credits": { "english": "Image: \ncirca 4th–3rd century BCE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Mohammed Babelli, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.161",

During antiquity, the Roman Empire gradually spread around the Mediterranean and beyond, particularly in North Africa and Egypt, but also in Asia Minor and southwestern Asia. A huge area of prosperity and trade, the Empire was interested in the Arabian trade routes that supplied incense, spices and other goods from the region itself or from further east and south. Established in Jordan, the Nabataean Kingdom became a key partner and was later annexed into the Empire in 106 CE, under the reign of Trajan. Roman presence then spread further including at Hegra, where a Roman garrison established a fort to protect and collect charges along this trade route. Little is known about the life of the legionaries there, except that they belonged to Legion III of Cyrenaica (a region of present-day Libya) and that the fort was perhaps the southernmost inland fortified post in the Empire. Despite nomadic raids and the threat of the Parthian Empire, Rome's rival centered in Persia, this area of the Empire remained under the influence of Rome for many centuries. A strong new political chapter started with the establishment of the Arab-Muslim caliphate in the seventh century CE. "Item_33_Description": { "english": "Two coins: a silver one showing the Roman emperor Trajan, and on the reverse a camel representing his conquest of Arabia; and a bronze one showing the empress Tranquillina.\n\nTwo Latin inscriptions in stone, one engraved, the other painted, dedicated to Roman emperors and officials. ", "Item_33_Credits": { "english": "Image 1: \n115–117 CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.64301.C.1\n\n114 - 116 CE\nArabia\nImage © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford\nInventory number: RPC III, 4076\n\nImage 2:\n241–244 CE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2025.326.79\n\nImage 3: \n213–217 CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.34303.I.1\n\nImage 4:\n161–169 CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.35004.I.9a",

Built in the heart of what became the \"Old Town\" of AlUla, the fort known to some as Musa ibn Nusayr is named after an Arab general and governor who is reported to have died in \"Wadi AlQura\" (the \"Valley of Villages\"), which the AlUla Valley was called in Islamic times. This small fort occupied the top of an outcrop about fifty meters high, offering an exceptional view of not only the town below but also of the valley for kilometers to the north and south. It is an exceptional position of observation and defense. The fort has endured significant changes over time, including restoration works in the 1990s. "Item_5_Description": { "english": "General view looking northward across AlUla Old Town, with the reconstructed Overlook Fortress, and beyond to the oasis. ", "Item_5_Credits": { "english": "Image: \nOld Town and Oasis, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla ",

The beginning of the 20th century was a period of renewal for AlUla: a railway for Muslim pilgrims was built, connecting Damascus to Medina via AlUla, which revitalised local life. The area’s extraordinary cultural heritage attracted more travellers and scientists, notably the French Dominican priests and scholars Jaussen and Savignac, who travelled here between 1907 and 1910. The documentary wealth they assembled became the foundation of the modern archaeological research at Dadan and Hegra that followed. \n\nA century later, in 2008, the site of Hegra was inscribed as Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it remains its most spectacular. In 2017, the Saudi entity, The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was created, taking charge of exploration and study of the area’s natural and cultural heritage, in addition to tourism and other economic development hand-in-hand with conservation and protection. The following year, France joined the endeavour through an intergovernmental agreement. \n\nMore than ever, the work of research, preservation, and promotion of this extraordinary cultural heritage continues. Archaeological survey, excavation and associated studies extend well beyond the initial sites, periods and aspects of study, to now range from the Stone Age through to the Islamic, and to include the dynamic involvement of human activity in the landscape. "Item_34_Description": { "english": "Excavations around the monolithic basin and stone-lined well at the main Dadan sanctuary and processing archaeological finds at the Dadan Archaeological Project's basecamp.", "Item_34_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nDadan archaeological site, AlUla\nPhoto: Sebastiano Lora, @Dadan Archaeological Project (CNRS/RCU/AFALULA)\n\n\nImage 2:\nDadan Archaeological Project basecamp, AlUla\nPhoto: Jérôme Rohmer, @Dadan Archaeological Project (CNRS/RCU/AFALULA)",

A Natural Wonder

The Ramm Valley, east of Dadan and the AlUla Oasis, is a series of sandstone canyons carved by the winds and rain over tens of thousands of years, to create extraordinary shapes with a magical and mysterious character. \nStanding here 500 million years ago, this landscape did not exist, as these rocks had not even begun to form. At this time, there was no life on land, and enormous rivers flowed for hundreds of miles. These rivers dropped huge amounts of sediment, that built up over millennia. The fine sediment, which was mostly small grains of quartz, was buried deep underground, where heat and pressure transformed it into rock. The enormous amount of rock lay buried, as plate tectonics slowly moved it northwards, for several hundreds of millions of years. Around 30 million years ago, the Red Sea began to open, thrusting up this rock creating a massive sandstone plateau. Over millennia, wind and rain have slowly broken down this plateau, creating the spectacular landscape of \"yardangs\" we see today.\n\nToday, this area is called \"Wadi AlFann\", which literally means \"Valley of Art\". It is becoming an open-air exhibition area of contemporary art and other installations.

 "Item_35_Description": {    "english": "The spectacular landscape of AlUla features beautiful yardangs, sandstone formations sculpted by wind erosion, set against expanses of sandy plains.",
"Item_35_Credits": { "english": "Image 1: \nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\n\nImage 2: \nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

Most of the sandstones in AlUla were formed by sediments of enormous rivers 500 million years ago. There was no life on land, or in the rivers at this time, so we don’t find any fossils. But towards the north of AlUla the sandstones were formed from sediments in shallow seas around 465 million years ago. And here, in the rocks, there is evidence of past life. \n\nThere are dozens of areas where we can find clues left by a huge number of species of marine animals. Footprints, burrows, and even feeding traces are incredibly well preserved. \n\nSomething spectacular in these rocks is the oldest fossil discovered in AlUla, which is an extinct species of horseshoe crab. This unique fossil has only been found here and nowhere else in the world. It is the largest horseshoe crab of the time, at least ten times larger than other species of the period. \n\nIt is also unusual because it is well preserved and upside down. From the fossils and the features in the rocks, we think that these horseshoe crabs were gathering in very large numbers, perhaps to mate, and large storms washed them onto the beach. Many were turned upside down and their bodies sunk into the sediment. Fortunately, most were apparently able to lift their body and tail and flip themselves. But sadly, some were never able to flip the right way round again. After they died, the body and tail usually snapped off, and their upside down heads were buried by sediment, and exposed 465 million years later. "Item_32_Description": { "english": " A unique specimen of horseshoe crab fossil.", "Item_32_Credits": { "english": "Image: \nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

As the Red Sea opened around 30 million years ago, it thrust up sandstone that had lay hidden beneath the surface for hundreds of millions of years. An enormous sandstone plateau spread for hundreds of miles in all directions. But this plateau was not perfect. \n\nBuried underground for so long, it was slightly over-cooked. Cracks and fissures cut through the rock like a loaf of bread sliced by a child. Now exposed, these cracks were the rock’s weak spots. Wind and rain slowly worked their way into the cracks, grain by grain. Over hundreds of thousands of years, these cracks became larger, and wider, until in some places vast areas of sand stand where rock once was. \n\nErosion is random. It doesn’t follow a pattern or a path. It will break down the rock wherever it hits it first. Nature blindly sculpts the landscape. And this can create some spectacular shapes. Perhaps one of the most well known is Jabal Alfil, also called Elephant Rock because this single rock outcrop, that was once connected to an enormous sandstone plateau, now stands alone, with the uncanny shape of an elephant in the middle of the desert. "Item_17_Description": { "english": "Elephant Rock and the Rainbow Arch, two of the most iconic sandstone formations of AlUla.", "Item_17_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2:\nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

Thanks to its extraordinary natural setting—particularly its underground water resources, enhanced by human activity over millennia—the AlUla oasis is home not only to a rich and varied native flora, but the main valley has proven to be especially well suited to diversified agriculture, giving rise to the oasis there. Date palms play a decisive role: beyond their famous fruit, these trees are essential for providing shade, protection from the wind, and materials for building shelters, making furniture, producing rope, or even crafting jewellery. The groves and orchards of other kinds of fruit, especially citrus—lemons, oranges, and others—have been characteristic of the area since the Islamic period.\n\nBecause of high summer heat, the most effective approach to cultivation is tiered: the date palm canopy provides dappled shade for other fruit trees to thrive below and vine plus other crops grow well at ground level. Among the other notable plants of the region is Moringa peregrina, a graceful small tree whose fruits yield ben oil, prized for its properties since antiquity. Native trees such as the umbrella thorn and grey-haired acacia also shape the broader ecosystem, acting as keystone species that stabilise soils, fix nitrogen, and sustain wildlife from insects to the Arabian oryx. "Item_9_Description": { "english": "Date palm and umbrella-thorn acacia are among the most prolific tree species in AlUla.", "Item_9_Credits": { "english": "Image 1: \nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2: \nSharaan National Park, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

The Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) is the smallest and potentially rarest of all leopard species. At around 1.5 to 2.2 meters in length including the tail – adult males typically weighing around 30kg, and females are slighter at around 20 kg – with golden-yellow fur with rosettes and a pale underbelly.\nCompact yet muscular, it is an ambush predator well adapted to remote, rugged terrain and able to take down large animals such as Arabian gazelles and Nubian ibex. Its prey base is sustained in part by the region's key herbivores—Arabian oryx, Nubian ibex, and two species of gazelle (reem and idmi)—all of which are themselves the focus of active conservation and reintroduction efforts in AlUla. Smaller animals, such as rock hyrax and partridge also make up much of their prey.\n\nThis enigmatic predator was once widespread across the Arabian Peninsula mountainous regions but today is sadly listed as Critically Endangered with only 120 estimated to remain in the wild in pockets of Oman and Yemen. Thankfully, there are coordinated regional efforts to protect the species, reduce threats and grow populations – including a conservation breeding programme led by the Royal Commission for AlUla – so that this iconic cat can thrive in the future. "Item_20_Description": { "english": "The rich fauna of AlUla includes Arabian leopards (Panthera pardus nimr) and Nubian ibexes, (Capra nubiana). Ibexes are seen on the rock outcrops in Sharaan National Park in one of the photos. ", "Item_20_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2:\nSharaan National Park, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

The Arabian ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus) historically occupied an extensive arc across the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula, from southern Syria and Jordan through northwest Arabia and into interior deserts. \n\nArabian ostriches were once prized by AlUla’s ancient civilizations, with many egg shell fragments found across archaeological sites in the region. . Wadi AlNaam – ‘The Valley of the Ostriches’ – displays rock art of ancient horseback hunting scenes in pursuit of these huge birds. Nearly 8000 ostrich depictions have been recorded in AlUla, some dating back to the Bronze Age (3000 – 1300 BCE). The birds were likely an important source of meat, eggshells (as containers and for bead production), and decorative feathers. \n\nUnfortunately, the Arabian ostrich was driven to extinction by the middle of the 20th century. Today, the Arabian ostrich’s closest genetic cousin, the North African or red-necked ostrich, is being used for reintroduction efforts in Arabia, including in AlUla. "Item_1_Description": { "english": "Large Arabian ostrich engraving in the sandstone, along with carvings of camels in the rocks in AlUla.", "Item_1_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nWadi AlNaam, AlUla\nPhoto: Robert Polidori, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2:\nWadi AlNaam, AlUla \nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla ",

Connecting the World

Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin native to the southern Arabian Peninsula and the Somali Coast. Millennia ago, this resin became a prized good for its aroma when burned, as well as other uses. It was traded at a high price over long distances, sometimes burned for various deities so that they might breathe its extraordinary fumes. In antiquity, the strong demand from the Mediterranean world in particular, under Egyptian, Greek and then Roman influence, led to intensive travel along what became known as the \"Incense Road\", leading up from the Arabian south. AlUla became an essential stopover due to its geographic position and availability of water, and successive Arab kingdoms, including the Nabataeans, made a fortune from this caravan trade. Incense was not the only good traded, and caravans took advantage of this travel to carry goods from much further afield. Eventual competition from sea transport via the Red Sea usurped the predominance of land travel.

 "Item_23_Description": {    "english": "A sandstone incense burner with a Dadanitic inscription, stating it was offered as a gift to the main Lihyanite god Dhû Ghaybah. ",
"Item_23_Credits": { "english": "Image: \ncirca 4th – 3rd centruy BCE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.148",

Frankincense, or olibanum resin, is extracted from trees of the Boswellia genus. When the bark is incised, small tears of fresh resin form, which then harden and are collected. The renown of frankincense dates back thousands of years, and its trade even inspired the name of the famous Incense Route(s), which enabled distribution northward, westward and eastward. Although its demand may have declined over time, its use has never ceased, through a wide range of practices distinct from one another, such as purification rites, offerings during religious ceremonies, sacrificial practices, medicinal uses, and simply for its fragrance. One of the most common ways of using frankincense is burning it, and the cultures that once inhabited AlUla left behind numerous burners, which are today important archaeological artefacts: study of the resides recovered from some demonstrate that frankincense was just one of many aromatics burned in them. "Item_24_Description": { "english": "Two sandstone incense burners of different types: a Lihyanite one bearing three animal friezes; and a Roman one with a Latin inscription confirming the presence of the Third Legion Cyrenaica in Hegra. ", "Item_24_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\ncirca 4th – 3rd centruy BCE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.129\n\nImage 2:\ncirca 106-300 CE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.92301.S.1",

Located on a strategic route of travel – the Incense Route up the western side of the Arabian Peninsula – the AlUla Valley was a mandatory stop for traders. In the heart of this arid environment, the oasis here offered a well-deserved place to rest alongside a vital source of water. For the travelers, and for the animals of the caravans, the food grown or produced on site as well as the water extracted from the many wells dug in the area (and later other water management systems) allowed them to regain their strength and resupply food and drink stores for the long and arduous journey that continued in one direction or the other. It was also an opportunity to sleep in safety, as bandit attacks were not uncommon along the route and setting up camp was not always safe. In the surely difficult daily life of itinerant merchants, AlUla was certainly a most appreciated haven of peace. "Item_21_Description": { "english": "Two elements indicating mercantile actvity over time in AlUla: a gold coin of the Fatimid period ruling from Egypt; and a bronze figurine of a camel discovered in Hegra.", "Item_21_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\n364 H / 975 CE\nQurh, AlUla\nPhoto: Mohammed Babelli, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.163\n\nImage 2:\ncirca 1st century BCE – 3rd century CE \nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.68302.M.1",

It is difficult to evoke the nomadic world of Arabia without falling into clichés. Bedouins, the \"inhabitants of the desert\" in Arabic, were historically mobile pastoralists who herded sheep, goats and camels, systematically moving from place to place seeking water and pasture for their animals. To this day, it is a tribal and hierarchical society, and the immediate environment plays an important role. Establishing camps with large tents, the most common of which is made of woven goat or camel hair, offers protection against the sun, sand and dust. Inside, men and women live in separate spaces and guests are received in accordance with the Bedouin values of generous hospitality. The Bedouin played a notable role in the historical trans-Arabian trade, providing animals, usually camels, for transport and serving as guides, offering protection for the commercial caravans, pilgrims and other travelers. It is a life full of incredible adaptation to the constraints of the environment. "Item_18_Description": { "english": "As an iconic element of the nomadic life, camels frequently appeared in rock art of AlUla. ", "Item_18_Credits": { "english": "Image 1: \nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2: \nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n \nImage 3: \ncirca 4th – 3rd century BCE\nDadan, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.144",

The Masjid Al'Itham, or Mosque of the Bones, illustrates the historical importance of AlUla’s Old Town as a stop along the Muslim pilgrimage route to Medina and Mecca. According to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad himself once stopped there to pray while on his way to Tabuk. Unable to find suitable stones to mark the qibla (the direction of prayer), he used animal bones instead. In honor of this event, the local population later built a mosque on that very spot. "Item_7_Description": { "english": "Page from a copy of the Qur'an and prayer beads (masbaha) of the early Islamic era in AlUla. ", "Item_7_Credits": { "english": "Image 1: \n801-900 CE\nIraq\nImage ©The Art Institute of Chicago; gift of Frank G. Logan\nInventory number: 1929.891\n\nImage 2: \ncirca 7th – 9th century CE\nQurh, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.153",

AlUla was not only a succession of diverse cultures over time. As a cultural crossroads, the area also gave rise to original contemporary combinations — long-distance merchants, other travellers, and artisans converged there, for example during the Nabataean period. As a result, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Hellenistic (Greek, 323 BCE – 32 BCE, between Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire) stylistic references appear integrated into the facades of the majestic tombs of Hegra, together adapted and transformed into a rich and multifaceted local identity. Faces of the Medusa type, inspired by the fearsome Gorgon of Greco-Roman mythology, are a good example. Carved on the facades of certain tombs, they may have served a talismanic function, warding off evil—or intruders! "Item_26_Description": { "english": "Elements showing Ancient Greek influence in AlUla: two bronze coins inspired by the Athenian currency depicting owls; and a Medusa head carved on the facade of a tomb.", "Item_26_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\n 4th–3rd century BCE \nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.70500.C.3\n\nImage 2:\n 4th–3rd century BCE \nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.Surface.C.336\n\nImage 3: \n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

Life in the Oasis

The \"Old Town\" of AlUla is a maze of lanes lined with mudbrick houses. What stands today emerged during the later Islamic era on the remains of older occupation. Far from being an isolated village, it was a prosperous town center fueled by local agricultural activities and caravan trade. It was also an important stop on a Muslim pilgrimage route to Mecca and Medina. Even today, you can feel the magic and dynamism of this unique place by wandering through the lanes of Old Town! \n\nSome of the decoration on the buildings that appear in the game, such as the green and blue tiles, are not historically accurate but were added to differentiate parts of the town. Also, the large market, wide streets and big open areas differ from Old Town of today – we don’t yet know how the urban layout was and changed over time. Archaeologists are working hard to figure that out!

 "Item_22_Description": {    "english": "Tightly packed mudbrick houses of AlUla Old Town and examples of wall paintings that decorate many interiors.",
"Item_22_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nOld Town, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\n\nImage 2:\nOld Town, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla ",

It is very difficult to date the first occupation of the site where AlUla Old Town stands today. It is located at an advantageous position: on a naturally raised area along the western side of the valley where it narrows, and with a large outcrop on its eastern side to offer a defensive look out point. The first settlement may date back to the Dadanite and Lihyanite times, during the first millennium BCE, or even earlier. We know much more about the settlement during the Islamic era, around 1200 CE onwards, due its mention in written sources. However, it was indeed a prosperous town with notable agricultural resources, due to the natural availability of water and fertile soil in the valley. There were hundreds of mostly small mud-brick houses huddled together in a maze of narrow lanes designed to preserve coolness when hot and warmth when cold. These houses generally had two floors connected by an internal staircase. \n\nThe security of the town was ensured by the connected exterior facades of the houses at the perimeter, effectively creating a defensive wall, with very few gates, to which was added the fort on the outcrop, an ideal point for observation. Outside the walls there was an open-air market for the exchange of goods coming from afar. The town was occupied continuously until the creation of a new AlUla with modern amenities in the 1980s. "Item_6_Description": { "english": "Aerial view of the Old Town and its oasis, separated today by a modern road, with remains of mud brick buildings: tightly packed in the town, and within individual farms and gardens in the oasis. ", "Item_6_Credits": { "english": "Image:\nOld Town and Oasis, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

AlUla Old Town developed over time, becoming a maze of narrow lanes lined with small two-storey houses built side-by-side. This arrangement, with limited space to expand individual houses, gave rise to a particularly original and ingenious way to extend, the tayyarah: with the consent of the neighbour opposite, construction of a room on the upper floor that spans the street provided an additional room for the house owner who built it. A side benefit was the shade provided for the lane below. "Item_28_Description": { "english": "A classic tayyarah extending across a street of the Old Town.", "Item_28_Credits": { "english": "Image: \nOld Town, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2020.180.10",

A high water table and fertile soil enabled the development of cultivated oases in the AlUla Valley, and the Hegra plain just to the north, for millennia. While the rains were unpredictable, the available ground water was tapped and effectively managed. The AlUla Oasis combined open fields, groves and mixed crop gardens enclosed by mudbrick walls and elevated walkways. In the open fields, wheat and barley were grown in winter. The harvest season for date palms, which were grown in groves, was late summer/early autumn. In Nabataean times, when agriculture in the Hegra plain was developed, even cotton was cultivated. In Islamic times, a variety of citrus fruits were introduced to the crop repertoire. A rich array of produce cultivated within the oasis was offered on the local markets and traded further. A three-tiered approach to farming was the most sustainable, with the palms providing shade for the fruit trees below and the ground crops beneath them. In summer, the inhabitants of the Old Town relocated to family farms at the oasis, which was cooler beneath the shade of the palm canopy. "Item_10_Description": { "english": "Pomegranate trees cultivated beneath the date palms on a farm in the AlUla oasis. Palm trees, depicted in the blue and white bowl, provided shade for shorter trees and crops. ", "Item_10_Credits": { "english": "Image 1: \nOasis Farm, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2:\n801-900 CE\nIraq\nImage ©The Khalili Collections\nInventory number: POT 1631",

Systematic water management enabled the impressive agricultural production of the AlUla Oasis. The Dadanites, Lihyanites and Nabataeans dug a number of wells to access the water table, but an underground qanat system was implemented extensively from early Islamic times (at least the 8th century CE). This ingenious system of underground channels made it possible to access and carry water from the aquifer to the fields and towns located at a lower surface elevation using gravity. The water was then distributed among the farm plots in a network of surface channels. This formidable system was used and reused until the implementation of mechanical pumping techniques in the 20th century. "Item_29_Description": { "english": "The qanat system tapped plentiful ground water (aquifer), and transported it through underground channels set at a gradual slope to reach agricultural fields and AlUla Old Town. \n\n\n", "Item_29_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nDiagram of a qanat system\nPhoto: Céline Marquaire, ©Céline Marquaire, 2026\n\nImage 2: \nQanat lines surveyed in AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Archaïos, UCOP Project ",

On the east side of AlUla Old Town stands the tantora. Built of stone and set atop a wall, it is a sundial that was most useful annually, in December, on the winter solstice, when about midday its shadow reaches a certain rock fixed in the ground of the open area in front of it. For the inhabitants, this signalled the start of a 40-day period for planting fields crops, such as wheat and barley, which need cooler weather and irrigation to grow. \n\nCommunity leaders carefully managed the distribution system of water to ensure every farmer received his fair share of the vital resource. Even though the introduction of mechanical pumping brought the complex underground and surface channeling system and distribution practice to an end, the elders of AlUla still hold the ceremony on the winter solstice, which is attended and celebrated by many locals and visitors and marks the start of the Winter at Tantora Festival instituted by The Royal Commission for AlUla. "Item_11_Description": { "english": "The Tantora sundial determined the start of the water distribution practice in AlUla at the winter solstice.", "Item_11_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nOld Town, AlUla\nPhoto: Courtesy of Ibrahim Mohammed Saleem Abdulkarim, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\n\nImage 2:\nOld Town, AlUla\nPhoto: From the family of Omar Ali Alwan, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\n\nImage 3:\nOld Town, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla ",

Since the earliest times of antiquity, the inhabitants of AlUla have enjoyed a rich and varied diet, largely foraged or produced locally. In the Oasis, this consisted of crops such as cereals and fruits, especially dates from palm trees, and eventually a wide variety of citrus. Alongside these came products from the herding of livestock such as sheep and goats, as well as camels. Hunting augmented the meat diet, for example gazelle and hare. Caravan trade further diversified the diet, introducing a wide range of products and different culinary practices. The presence of fish and shellfish from the Red Sea, for example, has even been documented. "Item_2_Description": { "english": "This selection of pottery from Islamic times shows simple, everyday bowls and some finer pieces depicting animals—such as a bowl painted with a hare and a dish decorated with a fish and leafy sprays.", "Item_2_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\nAlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\n\nImage 2:\ncirca 9th – 10th century CE\nQurh, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU.2023.185\n\nImage 3: \n801 - 900 CE\nIraq\nImage ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford\nInventory number: EA1956.127\n\nImage 4: \n801 - 1000 CE\nIraq \nImage ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford \nInventory number: EA1978.2147",

Music in the medieval Islamic world was organised around the modal melodic system, built from short groups of notes whose intervals and motifs shape the melody. A mode sets a starting note, common melodic routes, and points of tension and rest, guiding how a melody develops over time. Performance was largely improvisatory, with musicians elaborating these rules through memorised patterns, gradual development, and movement between related modes. Musical knowledge was mainly transmitted orally rather than through notation, with instruments such as the lute and zither (strings), the flute (wind), and percussion supporting melody and rhythm. Modes were associated with particular emotions, acting upon the soul.\n\nFrom a shared tradition, regional styles gradually developed, with Arab, Persian, and later Islamic music focusing on different ways of using modes. Abbasid theorists such as al-Farabi (d. 951 CE) integrated Greek musical theory, especially Pythagorean ideas, into the Arabic framework. In the Great Book on Music, for example, scales are presented in tables of pitches, numerical values, and intervals, accompanied by symbols resembling Greek notation. "Item_3_Description": { "english": "Music is represented in different ways across these two images: rock art may depict at the far right a local form of harp engraved on stone in the 1st millennium BCE, while a fragmentary dish is painted with the figure of a musician.", "Item_3_Credits": { "english": "Image:\ncirca 5th – 2nd century BCE\nIkmah Mountain, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\n\nImage 2: \n901 - 1000 CE\nIraq\nImage ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford \nInventory number: EA1978.2146",

Stargazing, the observation of the sky—especially the stars and the moon—has played a fundamental role in oasis and caravan cultures. The lunar cycle marks the months and the passage of time, while the brightest stars provide crucial guidance for orientation and travel across desert landscapes. Valued since antiquity, astronomy experienced a flourishing period during the Islamic Golden Age, in the 8th-13th centuries, with significant advances in observation, measurement, and calculation, symbolized by the refinement and widespread adoption of the astrolabe. Today, observing the night sky has become more challenging due to light pollution, which increasingly affects our environment. \n\nRecently awarded Dark Sky Certification, AlUla offers a unique opportunity to contemplate the night sky as it was experienced for thousands of years before the invention of electricity. "Item_19_Description": { "english": "The unique night sky at one of Hegra monumental tombs. ", "Item_19_Credits": { "english": "Image:\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

Honoring the Dead

Known to archaeologists as the IGN 110, the Tomb of Hayyan ibn Kuza is one of the Nabataean masterpieces of Hegra. At 21 meters high, it is one of the largest tombs at the site, but above all, it has the distinction of standing alone, isolated from the others. Clearly visible from the ancient city, it must have been one of the most prestigious and envied tombs of its day! Unfortunately, it was not completed for an unknown reason. It is precisely this unfinished character that makes it one of the essential sources for understanding the making of these tombs, from the work to clear the facade to the carving from top to bottom and the digging of the burial chambers. It is an extraordinary testimony to Nabataean funerary art, here magnified by the sunsets which give it a wonderful reflected rosy color.

 "Item_16_Description": {    "english": "The most iconic tomb known at Hegra stands alone.",
"Item_16_Credits": { "english": "Image:\n1st century CE \nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

AlBanat Mountain is one of the jewels of Nabataean Hegra: it is a necropolis of 29 tombs carved along both sides of in one long outcrop during the first century CE. Clearly visible from theancient city, the site was apparently very popular with local notables. Archaeologists have been able to establish a chronological sequence of architectural styles and types of tombs. Among the noteworthy sculptural elements, the triangular pediments of the tombs present animals, including eagles and snakes. The terrible Medusa, a monster of Greek mythology, appears, depicted with snakes for hair that, according to legend, transformed those who dared to meet her eyes into stone... "Item_14_Description": { "english": "Two lions confronting a rosette on the facade of a tomb at AlBanat Mountain.", "Item_14_Credits": { "english": "Image: \n1st century CE \nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Mohammed Babelli, ©Royal Commission for AlUla",

Ithlib Mountain contained sacred and functional spaces for the Nabataeans. There are a number of niches carved into the rock faces, to house betyls (from the Semitic \"Beit-il\", divine dwelling), rectangular stones symbolizing Nabataean deities. Most of the betyls are aniconic, without faces or defined features. Meetings, of which little is known, were held in a large room dug out from the rock called a triclinium (\"three benches\" in Latin because a stone bench was carved along each of the three sides), intended for banquets and ritual feasting. In Arabic, this is now referred by Persian-Turkish word the diwan. Water in Ithlib moutain was supplied by an ingenious system of channels, cisterns and a reservoir fed by rainwater. "Item_27_Description": { "english": "An unfinished Nabataean niche sheltering a betyl carved in Hegra.", "Item_27_Credits": { "english": "Image: \n1st BCE – 1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla ",

The triclinium, now called the diwan, is among the most fascinating features of Nabataean architecture at Hegra. Inspired by Greco-Roman practices, the triclinium was a rectangular banquet hall carved directly from the rock, which included a stone couch along each of the three walls (hence the name), the fourth side being open. It was a place to host guests and share meals while reclining “in the Roman style,” expressing high social status and strengthening community bonds. The triclinium also hosted funerary meals in honor of ancestors, ceremonies linked to deities and local cults, and probably collective celebrations associated with rites of passage or community festivals, sometimes within the framework of confraternities. Situated in close proximity to the majestic necropolises of Hegra, this interaction between the world of the living and that of the dead seems to have facilitated engagement of the community with its ancestors. "Item_4_Description": { "english": "The iconic diwan, at the entrance of a narrow passage (siq) in Hegra.", "Item_4_Credits": { "english": "Image: \n1st BCE – 1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Hubert Raguet Photographe, ©Royal Commission for AlUla ",

Archaeological research has contributed greatly to our understanding of some historical funerary practices and beliefs of the local cultures in AlUla. While relatively little is known about the Dadanites or Lihyanites, more is known about the Nabataeans at Hegra. In their culture, many elites were laid to rest in elegant sculpted tombs, dug and carved from the sandstone outcrops surrounding the ancient city settlement center. Inscriptions named the owners and placed the deceased under the protection of various deities. Funerary practices involved covering the naked body with a mixture of oil and resin as a form of embalming. One particularly well-preserved skeleton best indicates that bodies were then covered with a three-part shroud – a thin layer of red-dyed hair cloth and two layers of unbleached linen, the second one thicker than the first and held in place with straps. Finally, the body was wrapped in leather and a large piece of leather was used like a stretcher to transport the body into the tomb. There were many cavities inside the tombs – pits in the ground and wall niches – for the patron and their descendants. The wall niches may instead or also have been a place for artifacts for the deceased in the afterlife. Personal adornment and funerary deposits uneathed include a date necklace and objects of wood or metal. Access was temporarily sealed with wood or rocks between burials. Inscriptions clearly established the risk of curses and fines incurred by potential looters or usurpers, who unfortunately seem to have been numerous. "Item_30_Description": { "english": "Objects discovered in Nabataean graves include this finely constructed shoe sole (both sides shown here) and this textile strap used to wrap the body. The mounted silk fragment includes wild silk and dyes originating from India.", "Item_30_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Madain Saleh Archaeological Project (MSAP), ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.50432.L.3\n\nImage 2:\n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Madain Saleh Archaeological Project (MSAP), ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.50432.T.11\n\nImage 3:\n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Royal Commission for AlUla, ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.50051.T.3",

In 60 or 61 CE, a certain Hinat had the following message engraved on the facade of the tomb she commissioned among those in this necropolis: \"This is the tomb that Hinat, daughter of Wahbu, dug for herself, her children and her descendants, forever. No one has the right to sell it, to pledge it or to draw up a lease for this tomb. And whoever acts otherwise will see his share go to his rightful heir. In the twenty-first year of King Maliku, king of the Nabataeans.” Nearly 2000 years later, archaeologists have been able to establish that several dozen bodies were placed in this tomb, including one that may be Hinat herself, a woman of 40 to 50 years old. "Item_25_Description": { "english": "A shroud fragment with a necklace of fresh dates was discovered around a female skeleton's neck inside Tomb IGN 117.\n", "Item_25_Credits": { "english": "Image 1:\n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Estia Ltd., ©Royal Commission for AlUla \n\nImage 2:\n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla \nPhoto: Madain Saleh Archaeological Project (MSAP), ©Royal Commission for AlUla \nInventory number: RCU, MS.50240.L.2 ",

Carving the monumental tombs of Hegra required unique expertise and a highly methodical process. The master builders probably assessed the quality of the sandstone and only selected the most suitable rock faces. Other factors, such as visibility from the city, seem also to have played a part. Based on a preestablished plan, the stone masons worked from top to bottom and used scaffolding or eventually stood on the ledge that was naturally created as they carved the rock face downwards. They began by roughly outlining features of the facade followed by the slow and careful carving of the elements—pediment, cornice, columns, etc, and sculptural elements with protective or religious symbolism. The work was carried out with simple yet effective tools such as chisels, picks, and hammers. \n\nThe funerary chamber and the niches for the bodies were excavated in an interior space left undecorated. Funerary inscriptions were included above some tomb entries, naming the owner of the tomb, the reigning Nabataean king during its construction, curses directed at anyone who might violate the proprietary use... and sometimes the chief mason or sculptor. "Item_13_Description": { "english": "Nabataean inscription carved on the Tomb of Kamkam bint Wai'lat (IGN 39), a tomb which belong to her and her daughhter. All those entitled to be buried in it are women. Whoever does not do so will be cursed and will have to pay a fine to the priest.", "Item_13_Credits": { "english": "Image: \n1st century CE\nHegra, AlUla\nPhoto: Mohammed Babelli, ©Royal Commission for AlUla\nInventory number: RCU.2020.277.54",

Memories

Intro

 "Intro_Screen_Contents": {
   "english": "Welcome to AlUla, a land marked by ancient civilisations and shaped by a unique natural evolution. ​\n\nYou need to decipher an ancient inscription. It appears to be written in the language of the Nabataeans, one of the civilisations that occupied this land many centuries ago. ​\n\nTravel across the valley, gain knowledge and help people in the region. In exchange, they will provide you with fragments of different inscriptions that you can use to decipher the ancient inscription.",
 "Toast_Map_Start_1": {
   "english": "Hello, I am Roshan and I will guide you throughout your missions.",
 "Toast_Map_Start_2": {
   "english": "When you are ready, check your map and head to the diwan of Ithlib Mountain to start your first mission. ​",
 "TUT_Map_Objective_Content_1": {
   "english": "In order to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription, you will have to complete eight missions, helping different people across AlUla. In return, they will give you fragments of other inscriptions, which you will have to use to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription. \n\n\nOnce completed, each mission will be marked as completed in the mission tracker.",
 "TUT_Map_Objective_Content_2": {
   "english": "Each mission takes place in a different location on the map. The icons across the map show where the locations are. \n\nIn each location, you will gain the knowledge needed to complete the mission. ",

Mission 1

 "Location_1": {
   "english": "Diwan of Ithlib Mountain",
 "Mission_1_Description": {
   "english": "In the diwan of Ithlib Mountain, a woman named Inaya needs your assistance. She is preparing a feast for a group of merchants who have just arrived and asks for your help.\n\nIf you help, she is happy to give you a fragment of ancient Nabataean inscription. ",
 "Mission_1_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "You have provided exceptional help and advice. Inaya passes on the fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription and says that you are welcome to come back any time.",
 "Mission_1_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Inaya appreciates your efforts to help, but your suggestions have made it more difficult for her. She still passes on the fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription and is glad to see you leave.",
 "Mission_1_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Despite the occasional confusion, your help and advice are appreciated. Inaya passes on the fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_1_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "Inaya begins by asking which meal you think would be most appropriate for her to serve to her guests.",
 "Mission_1_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explains what ingredients are available in the region.",
 "Mission_1_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Meal",
 "Mission_1_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "She tells you that she is also going to prepare an ostrich egg for the dinner, but she wants to know from you a way of putting the large shells to use later on.",
 "Mission_1_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered refers to the Arabian Ostrich. This should have information on their eggs.",
 "Mission_1_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Egg",
 "Mission_1_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "Inaya wants to make the evening fun for the guests and wants to have some music with dinner. She asks what you think she should tell the musicians to play.",
 "Mission_1_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explains how melodies are played by performers.",
 "Mission_1_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Entertainment",
 "Mission_1_Title": {
   "english": "The Dinner",
 "[1]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that a dish of dates and roasted lamb would be perfect for the dinner.",
 "[1]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "This is the ideal choice; the ingredients for this dish are local and readily available. She smiles at your idea and immediately sets out to gather the ingredients she will need.",
 "[1]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Dates and Roasted Lamb",
 "[1]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that you think a light dinner of fish and salad would be nice.",
 "[1]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Although it would be possible to get hold of fish in AlUla, it would be very expensive as it needs to be transported to AlUla. She looks concerned and thanks you for the suggestion. Local ingredients, such as dates and roasted lamb, would have been a better choice.",
 "[1]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Fried Fish and Salad",
 "[1]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that a tomato-based dish would be good to serve at the dinner.",
 "[1]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "As you explain your idea, she looks at you in confusion. She has never seen a tomato, and they are not grown anywhere near the region. Local ingredients, such as dates and roasted lamb, would have been a better choice.",
 "[1]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Tomato Dish",
 "[1]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that she could fashion the shells into containers for storage and transporting items.",
 "[1]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "She nods in agreement smiling at the idea. The eggshells are thick and hard; they will make an excellent vessel. This is a perfectly suited suggestion.",
 "[1]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Container",
 "[1]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that as the shells are hard, they could be turned into a ball for children to play with.",
 "[1]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "She agrees that the shells are tough enough, but they are not round and would make a bad ball. She explains that it would be more sensible to make containers out of them.",
 "[1]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Ball",
 "[1]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that it might be possible to make some clothing from them.",
 "[1]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "She frowns and tells you that the shells are extremely thick and hard. They would be completely unsuitable for any clothing. She explains that it would be more sensible to make containers out of them.",
 "[1]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Clothing",
 "[1]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest letting them play whatever melodies they feel fit best, based on a specific idea or emotion.",
 "[1]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You know that musicians prefer to play improvised melodies based on a theme rather than following a set score - this is the best approach to suggest.",
 "[1]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Improvise",
 "[1]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend letting them play some music based on a specific set of modes so that she has control of the structure.",
 "[1]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "She says that it is possible but may upset the musicians, as they normally like to improvise. It would have been better to advise letting the musicians improvise based on ideas or emotions.",
 "[1]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Set of Modes",
 "[1]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "To ensure that they play something suitable for the dinner, she should provide them with a specific piece of music.",
 "[1]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Music in the region is not fixed or written down; whilst she thanks you for your suggestion, she will stick to the traditional way of improvising based on a theme.",
 "[1]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Music",

Mission 2

 "Location_2": {
   "english": "The Old Town",
 "Mission_2_Description": {
   "english": "A merchant asks for your help to find his way around. He is knowledgeable about other languages and offers to give you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription in exchange for your assistance.",
 "Mission_2_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "You have provided valuable help and insights to the merchant. Saad ibn Yasir is in your debt and happily gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_2_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Though Saad ibn Yasir acknowledges that you tried your best to help, your local knowledge was insufficient. However, he respects his side of the deal and gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_2_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Your knowledge of the town and local area, though imperfect, was of help to the merchant. He thanks you and gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_2_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "The merchant introduces himself as Saad ibn Yasir. He asks you where he can find the main market in the town.",
 "Mission_2_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered will help you to answer on the structure of the Old Town.",
 "Mission_2_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Market",
 "Mission_2_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "Pointing into the distance, outside the city, he asks what the large tomb that stands alone is.",
 "Mission_2_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered refers to the Nabataean tombs in the area. This will be of help.",
 "Mission_2_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Tomb",
 "Mission_2_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "Turning his attention back to the merchandise he is transporting, Saad explains that the goods are valuable and asks if the area is adequately defended from raiders.",
 "Mission_2_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "The knowledge you have gathered provides insight into the forts in the Old Town. This will help you answer.",
 "Mission_2_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Town",
 "Mission_2_Title": {
   "english": "The Merchant",
 "[2]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You direct him to head outside the town walls.",
 "[2]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Whilst he will undoubtedly encounter some merchants, you would have been better to tell him that markets can be found both inside and outside the town walls.",
 "[2]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Outside the Town",
 "[2]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell him to go both to the town centre and just outside the walls of the town; he will encounter some merchants in both locations.",
 "[2]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You explain that he will find open-air markets both in the town centre and outside the town walls. He smiles, grateful for your insight and guidance.",
 "[2]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Inside and Outside the Walls",
 "[2]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You apologise and explain that you do not know where the market is.",
 "[2]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "He looks frustrated but continues the conversation. To help him you should have directed him both to the town centre and outside the town walls.",
 "[2]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "You do not know",
 "[2]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that it is one of the great Nabataen masterpieces in Hegra, the tomb of Hayyan ibn Kuza.",
 "[2]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Looking out at the horizon, Saad looks pleased at your knowledge. This was the perfect answer.",
 "[2]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Hayyan ibn Kuza",
 "[2]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that he is probably referring to the Nabataean tombs of the AlBanat Mountain.",
 "[2]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Whilst visible from the city, the tombs of AlBanat Mountain are a cluster of structures. Hayyan ibn Kuza is the tomb that stands alone. You hope that the confusion will not cause Saad problems in the future.",
 "[2]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "AlBanat Mountain",
 "[2]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that you do not know about the tomb but that it is probably very old.",
 "[2]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "He looks irritated by your lack of local knowledge but asks you another question.",
 "[2]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "You do not know",
 "[2]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You point to the Overlook Fortress that sits on an outcrop in the centre of the town.",
 "[2]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "With good visibility of the surrounding area, the Overlook Fortress provides a clear and far-reaching defense for merchants and travelers through the AlUla valley. Saad is relieved to hear this. It was the perfect choice.",
 "[2]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "The Overlook Fortress",
 "[2]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You point to the defensive wall created around the town by the buildings.",
 "[2]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Whilst the wall protects the town itself, Saad is more concerned with the area surrounding it. You should have highlighted the Overlook Fortress and its ability to protect a large zone.",
 "[2]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Defensive Wall",
 "[2]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that the region and its trade routes are mostly peaceful, and he should not worry.",
 "[2]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Saad is clearly unconvinced by your statement. He is an experienced merchant and knows that there are many dangers, from bandits to wild animals. You should have highlighted the Overlook Fortress and its ability to protect a wide area.",
 "[2]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Peaceful Area",

Mission 3

 "Location_3": {
   "english": "The Oasis",
 "Mission_3_Description": {
   "english": "You meet a young farmer called Harith ibn Ghayth, outside the town. He explains that he is the first in his family to try farming and asks for your help to learn how to grow crops in the Oasis. He is willing to share a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription in exchange for your help.",
 "Mission_3_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "You have provided exceptional help and advice to Harith ibn Ghayth. He gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription in thanks. He also invites you to come back to enjjoy his first harvest of dates.",
 "Mission_3_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Harith ibn Ghayth appreciates your attempts to help even though he doubts the usefulness of your answers. He passes on the fragment of the ancient Nabataean inscription as promised and walks off muttering under his breath.",
 "Mission_3_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Though Harith will likely seek some more advice on some of the challenges he faces, he is grateful for the information you have provided. He thanks you and gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_3_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "Harith explains that he needs to know what to plant. He asks what crops are the best to grow during the spring and summer months.",
 "Mission_3_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered will help you to advise on the flora in the region.",
 "Mission_3_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Spring and Summer",
 "Mission_3_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "He looks over the nearby fields and then asks what he should do in the winter after he harvests the first crop.",
 "Mission_3_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explains how to farm in the Oasis.",
 "Mission_3_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Winter",
 "Mission_3_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "After you answer, Harith has another question, he wonders how he will know when it is time to change crops at the beginning of Winter.",
 "Mission_3_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered refers to a specific device used by people of the Oasis to track the changing of the seasons.",
 "Mission_3_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Changing Seasons",
 "Mission_3_Title": {
   "english": "The Farmer",
 "[3]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that with the warm sun of spring and summer, growing dates would be a good choice.",
 "[3]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You recall that dates need a lot of sun to grow and ripen, making them a good choice to plant in spring or summer. This is a perfect suggestion.",
 "[3]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Dates",
 "[3]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "As wheat is needed all year round for making bread and other staple foods, you suggest that he should begin by planting that.",
 "[3]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Harith looks doubtful. Wheat is a winter crop, needing cooler conditions and more water than the summer provides. Dates would have been a better suggestion as they need the bright sunlight of summer to ripen.",
 "[3]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Wheat",
 "[3]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that potatoes would be a perfect crop to plant in spring or summer.",
 "[3]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "He has never heard of a potato and looks at you with a confused expression. Potatoes have not been introduced into the region during this period. You would have done well to suggest dates as they need a lot of sun to ripen.",
 "[3]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Potatoes",
 "[3]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that in winter he should plant a grain such as wheat or barley.",
 "[3]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You have correctly recalled that crops like wheat and barley need both cooler conditions and more water. They are the perfect choice for winter crops.",
 "[3]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Wheat and Barley",
 "[3]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "Dates are a known delicacy of the region, and you suggest that he should grow them in the winter.",
 "[3]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Harith seems doubtful but smiles at your suggestion. Dates, whilst common in the region, are not suitable to be planted in the winter. You would have done better to suggest that he plant wheat or barley.",
 "[3]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Dates",
 "[3]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that the best choice would be oryx.",
 "[3]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Harith looks confused at your suggestion and explains that whilst the oryx is common in the region, it is an animal, not a crop! Wheat and barley would have been a more sensible recommendation.",
 "[3]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Oryx",
 "[3]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that the best way to know if it is winter is to use the Tantora.",
 "[3]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "The Tantora is a sundial located in the Old Town. It casts a shadow which reaches a rock fixed in the ground on the first day of the winter solstice. This is the ideal suggestion to know when winter begins.",
 "[3]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Sundial",
 "[3]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that he waits for the festival of the Winter Solstice before planting his winter crops.",
 "[3]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Harith is not fully convinced, since the festival lasts several days. You would have been better to suggest that he use the Tantora sundial to know exactly when the Winter Solstice begins.",
 "[3]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Wait for the Winter Solstice",
 "[3]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that he waits for it to get cold. That way he will know it is time to plant his winter crops.",
 "[3]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Harith responds that the winter would indeed likely be colder than the summer and that his problem is knowing when the season has changed. You would have been better to suggest that he use the Tantora sundial as that shows exactly when the Winter Solstice begins.",
 "[3]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Wait until it gets colder",

Mission 4

 "Location_4": {
   "english": "Lion Tombs",
 "Mission_4_Description": {
   "english": "An artist visiting the Lion Tombs asks for information about the carvings there. He is writing a detailed account of them in a manuscript. \n\nHe says that he would be more than happy to give you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription if you assist him with his research.",
 "Mission_4_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "Fahim closes his manuscript with a smile and a sense of a job well done. He is extremely pleased with the progress he has made. He gratefully passes on the fragment of ancient Nabataean inscription. ",
 "Mission_4_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Fahim closes his manuscript with a resigned sigh. He has more work to do!  You hope that his work has not been impacted too badly by your lack of knowledge. He still gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription as promised. ",
 "Mission_4_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Fahim closes his manuscript with a decisive gesture. Your help and insights are appreciated, despite the occasional confusion. He hands over the fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription as agreed.",
 "Mission_4_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "The artist introduces himself as Fahim. Gesturing to a carving that he has been studying, he asks if you know how the artisans went about creating such large sculptures.",
 "Mission_4_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered contained information on the process of carving.",
 "Mission_4_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Sculptures",
 "Mission_4_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "Fahim is fascinated by the process of carving tomb façades and wants to learn more about the fantastical imagery they feature. He recalls seeing a carving of a snake-haired woman on Al-Banat Mountain and asks what might have inspired such a striking sculpture.",
 "Mission_4_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered about the carvings may help you here.",
 "Mission_4_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Creatures",
 "Mission_4_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "Fahim explains that he hopes to create a detailed account of the carvings in the area to go along with his research into ancient methods. He asks if you know of anywhere else where he could see large numbers of carved tomb façades.",
 "Mission_4_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered contains information on the location of carved facades in AlUla.",
 "Mission_4_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Carvings",
 "Mission_4_Title": {
   "english": "The Artist",
 "[4]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that in order to create a sculpture of this size the artist would have roughly outlined all of it first then added details later on.",
 "[4]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Fahim shakes his head. That technique would have been extremely difficult to use on sculptures of this scale. The artists most likely began at the top and worked their way down.",
 "[4]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Make an Outline",
 "[4]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "After a moment's consideration, you suggest that the artists likely began at the bottom of the sculptures and worked their way upward.",
 "[4]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Fahim laughs at your suggestion, explaining that it would have been a very difficult approach. Instead, the carvers would have begun at the top of the sculptures and worked their way down.",
 "[4]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Start at the Bottom",
 "[4]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "After a moment's consideration, you suggest that the artists likely began at the top of the sculptures and worked their way down.",
 "[4]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Fahim nods approvingly as you explain your reasoning. Smiling, he says that this is exactly how he would approach carving a sculpture of this scale. You have found the perfect answer.",
 "[4]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Start at the Top",
 "[4]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that the creature depicted could be from Greek mythology.",
 "[4]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Fahim is impressed by your knowledge of cultures beyond the region. This is the perfect answer.",
 "[4]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Mythology",
 "[4]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "Maybe the creatures are simply the result of the artist's imagination.",
 "[4]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Fahim remarks that he is often amazed by the vivid imaginations of artists, but he is certain he has seen creatures like this depicted in Greek mythology.",
 "[4]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Imagination",
 "[4]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "Perhaps creatures like this used to live in the region in the past.",
 "[4]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "The artist does not seem convinced, but smiles politely. The correct answer was that they are from Greek mythology.",
 "[4]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "History",
 "[4]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that he heads north to the tombs at Hegra, to see the carved facades.",
 "[4]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You explain that Hegra contains nearly one hundred carved tomb facades, the great masterpieces of the Nabataeans. Fahim is thrilled at the prospect of seeing them. This was the perfect recommendation.",
 "[4]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Hegra",
 "[4]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that he heads north to see the inscriptions at Mount Ikmah.",
 "[4]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Fahim is familiar with Mount Ikmah and explains that whilst the inscriptions are fascinating, he is interested in carvings. It would be better for him to head north to Hegra.",
 "[4]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Mount Ikmah",
 "[4]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that he heads to Elephant Rock, which is a rock carved into a huge elephant form.",
 "[4]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "He politely explains that whilst it is impressive, the Elephant Rock was formed naturally by the historical effects of erosion. There was no carving. To ensure that he can see more carvings you should have recommended heading north to Hegra.",
 "[4]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Elephant Rock",

Mission 5

 "Location_5": {
   "english": "Elephant Rock",
 "Mission_5_Description": {
   "english": "A caravan guard asks you to join the caravan he is with and provide him with advice on traveling in the region. The caravan is currently at Elephant Rock. \n\nThe guard agrees to share a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription in return.",
 "Mission_5_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "Asim looks visibly relieved by the depth and wisdom of your advice. Thanking you profusely, he presents you with a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription as a token of his gratitude. He then insists that you join him and the other new guards for dinner, eager for them to benefit from your knowledge as well.",
 "Mission_5_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Asim rewards you with a fragment of ancient Nabataean inscription and you thank him. You realise that your advice was not always sound and hope it will not cause him harm on his travels.",
 "Mission_5_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Asim thanks you for your thoughtful advice and gladly gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription. Your advice was mostly sound, and you are confident that the other guards traveling with him will make up for any mistakes.",
 "Mission_5_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "The guard introduces himself as Asim ibn Najm and begins by asking you for advice on the best way to navigate in the desert.",
 "Mission_5_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered refers to traveling across desert landscapes. That will help you.",
 "Mission_5_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Navigation",
 "Mission_5_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "Thinking ahead in his journey, Asim also asks what you would suggest he use for shelter when traveling.",
 "Mission_5_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "You have useful knowledge about traveling nomadic cultures; it will be helpful here. ",
 "Mission_5_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Shelter",
 "Mission_5_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "Asim explains that he has heard the life of a caravan guard can be dangerous, but no one will tell him why. He asks what dangers he should be prepared for.",
 "Mission_5_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "Traveling to the thriving town of AlUla can be dangerous. Share what you know about the threats travelers faced along the trade routes.",
 "Mission_5_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Dangers",
 "Mission_5_Title": {
   "english": "The Guard",
 "[5]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You recommend that he look up at the night sky, and use the brightest stars to orient himself and find the right direction to follow.",
 "[5]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Asim nods at the wisdom of your suggestion. Your advice is perfect. The brightest stars in the sky are able to provide crucial guidance for orientation and travel across desert landscapes.",
 "[5]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Stars",
 "[5]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest he looks at a map of the region, to find his bearings and the right direction to follow. ",
 "[5]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Whilst a map provides some good information, there is little detail. It would have been better to suggest that Asim use the stars to navigate as they can provide crucial guidance for orientation and travel across desert landscapes.",
 "[5]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Maps",
 "[5]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell Asim that you think the best solution would be to follow the tracks of the other caravans.",
 "[5]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "The tracks of the other caravans could swiftly be blown away in the sand and offer no guidance. It would have been far better to suggest that Asim uses the stars to navigate.",
 "[5]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Tracks",
 "[5]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest using tents made of woven goat or camel hair.",
 "[5]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You reply that he should find a tent like those used by the Bedouins of the desert. It will provide shelter, keep him warm at night, and be easy to carry. This is the perfect suggestion.",
 "[5]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Tents",
 "[5]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest camping in caves along the route.",
 "[5]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Asim immediately shakes his head at your suggestion, explaining that although caves are common in the region, his caravan will spend many days crossing the open desert. A tent would have been far more useful.",
 "[5]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Caves",
 "[5]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest carrying simple wooden shacks that can be disassembled for easy transport.",
 "[5]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Asim seems impressed, but reminds you that space and weight are vital for ensuring that a caravan is profitable. You would have been better off suggesting that he take a tent.",
 "[5]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Shacks",
 "[5]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You warn him of the danger posed by leopards.",
 "[5]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You explain that the Arabian Leopard is an ambush predator, well adapted to remote, rugged terrain and able to take down larger prey. However, they favor wild prey such as gazelles and ibex, so you would have been better off warning him about the threat of bandits.",
 "[5]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Leopards",
 "[5]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You warn him about bears.",
 "[5]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Asim looks at you with a puzzled expression on his face before explaining that he knows that there are no bears in the region. Whilst there are leopards that would have posed some danger, the most common threat would likely be bandits.",
 "[5]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Bears",
 "[5]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell him to be mindful of the many bandits who are likely to be lurking along the trade routes.",
 "[5]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Despite protection offered by the military forces from AlUla, bandit attacks are common in the region as they prey on the rich trading caravans. Your advice is perfect and will help Asim stay safe.",
 "[5]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Bandits",

Mission 6

 "Location_6": {
   "english": "Tent Encampment",
 "Mission_6_Description": {
   "english": "You receive a request for help from a young man named Ghassan, who is staying at the tent encampment. Posing as a merchant who has fled an arranged betrothal, he is in need of your assistance.\nA scholar of ancient languages, he promises to reward your help with a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_6_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "Your advice was perfect, and Ghassan is visibly relieved, now feeling fully prepared to pose as a merchant. Before setting off, he gratefully entrusts you with a fragment of ancient Nabataean inscription and thanks you for your help.",
 "Mission_6_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Your advice to Ghassan may have caused more harm than good, and he remains clearly anxious about posing as a merchant. Before he departs, he absent-mindedly hands you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_6_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Your advice has given Ghassan greater confidence, and he now feels better prepared to pose as a merchant, despite the challenges that may still lie ahead. Before he departs, he gives you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription.",
 "Mission_6_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "To pass as a merchant, Ghassan needs to know more about AlUla. He begins by asking what the main source of AlUla's prosperity is, beyond trade.",
 "Mission_6_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Use your knowledge of the Old Town to help him.",
 "Mission_6_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "AlUla",
 "Mission_6_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "Ghassan plans to pose as a merchant transporting valuable frankincense. Sheepishly, he admits he is not entirely sure why it is so highly prized.",
 "Mission_6_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "The knowledge you gained about the importance of frankincense will prove useful here.",
 "Mission_6_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Frankincense",
 "Mission_6_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "To make his disguise convincing, Ghassan must appear familiar with the route through AlUla and its famous landmarks. One of the best known is the Tomb of Hinat. He asks you to tell him more about it.",
 "Mission_6_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "The knowledge you gained about this landmark, particularly its distinctive tomb carvings, will prove useful here.",
 "Mission_6_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Tomb of Hinat",
 "Mission_6_Title": {
   "english": "The Runaway",
 "[6]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell him that you believe that the prosperous town is also fueled by local agricultural activities.",
 "[6]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly recall that the thriving town depended as much on the oasis farms as on the caravans that passed through it. Ghassan nods, committing your words to memory. This is the perfect answer.",
 "[6]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Agriculture",
 "[6]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell him that you believe that the wealth of AlUla partially comes from pilgrims stopping in AlUla before continuing their journey.",
 "[6]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Ghassan looks uncertain. Whilst travelers do pass through the town on pilgrimage, this is not what fills its stores and markets. You would have helped him more by explaining that the town's wealth also comes from the agricultural activities in the oasis.",
 "[6]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Temples",
 "[6]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell him that you believe that AlUla has a strong manufacturing industry that contributes to its prosperity.",
 "[6]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Ghassan frowns at your suggestion. The town's craftsmen serve local needs, but no merchant would speak of AlUla as a place of industry. You would have helped him more by explaining that the town's wealth also comes from the agricultural activities in the oasis.",
 "[6]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Manufacturing",
 "[6]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that you think frankincense was prized for the pleasant aroma it released when burned.",
 "[6]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly explain that frankincense is prized for the extraordinary fragrance it releases when burned, and it is traded at great price across vast distances. Ghassan smiles, now able to speak of his wares with confidence. This was the perfect answer.",
 "[6]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Aroma",
 "[6]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that frankincense might be used in construction.",
 "[6]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Whilst frankincense is indeed a resin, it is in no way suitable for construction. You would have helped him better if you had explained that it is due to the extraordinary fragrance it releases when burned.",
 "[6]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Construction",
 "[6]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that you think frankincense can be used to dye clothes.",
 "[6]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Frankincense is not colored and cannot be used to dye clothes. You would have helped him better if you had explained that it is due to the extraordinary fragrance it releases when burned.",
 "[6]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Dye",
 "[6]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that it was built for Hinat, her children and her descendants.",
 "[6]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "The inscription specifically states that the tomb was created for Hinat, her children and her descendants, forever. Your answer is correct.",
 "[6]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Hinat and Her Descendants",
 "[6]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You tell him that it was created specifically for her enemies.",
 "[6]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "The inscription specifically states that the tomb was for Hinat, her children and her descendants, forever. You hope this mistake will not arouse suspicion.",
 "[6]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Enemies",
 "[6]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest it was made for her brothers and sisters.",
 "[6]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "The inscription specifically states that the tomb was for Hinat, her children and her descendants. You hope this mistake will not arouse suspicion.",
 "[6]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Brothers and Sisters",

Mission 7

 "Location_7": {
   "english": "AlBanat Mountain",
 "Mission_7_Description": {
   "english": "You come across an engineer who has come to AlUla to learn about its interesting and innovative constructions. He asks you meet him at the famous AlBanat Mountain. \n\nHe offers to give you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription in exchange for your help.",
 "Mission_7_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "Tayyib ibn Wasi is thrilled by the depth of your understanding of the region's ingenuity. He thanks you warmly and presents you with a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription, certain that your shared discoveries will enrich his studies.",
 "Mission_7_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Tayyib ibn Wasi appreciates your attempt to help, but is left with more questions than answers. He entrusts you with a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription before setting off in search of other sources.",
 "Mission_7_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Tayyib ibn Wasi is grateful for your help, despite a few moments of confusion along the way. He leaves you with a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription before setting off to continue his studies.",
 "Mission_7_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "The engineer greets you and introduces himself as Tayyib ibn Wasi. He thanks you for your assistance and begins by asking what the elevated structures that appear above the streets of the Old Town are. ",
 "Mission_7_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explains the ingenious rooms of the Old Town.",
 "Mission_7_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Elevated Structures",
 "Mission_7_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "Tayyib turns his attention to the oasis and the farms it sustains. He wonders how farmers channelled water from the aquifer to fields lying at a lower elevation, without the use of pumps.",
 "Mission_7_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explains more about water management in the oasis.",
 "Mission_7_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Water for Farming",
 "Mission_7_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "Finally, Tayyib turns to the sacred spaces carved into Ithlib Mountain, where no wells exist. He asks how the Nabataeans brought water to such a dry and isolated place.",
 "Mission_7_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explores the rituals and sacred spaces of Ithlib Mountain, and how water was brought to them.",
 "Mission_7_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Water at Ithlib Mountain",
 "Mission_7_Title": {
   "english": "The Engineer",
 "[7]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that the structures are built to provide shade for those in the streets below.",
 "[7]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Whilst the small amount of shade would likely be appreciated by some, this is an accidental effect of the construction of these Tayyarahs. These rooms on the upper floor, spanning the street, provide additional space for the house owner.",
 "[7]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Shade",
 "[7]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that these structures are upper-floor rooms built over the street.",
 "[7]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly identify the Tayyarahs: upper-floor rooms that span the street, providing additional living space. This is the correct answer.",
 "[7]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Rooms",
 "[7]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that these structures help support the buildings on either side of the street.",
 "[7]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "These structures are built between already constructed buildings and offer no support benefits. You should have explained that they are Tayyarahs, elevated rooms that span the street and provide additional space for the house owner.",
 "[7]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Support",
 "[7]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that they use qanats, a system of underground channels that carry water using only the natural slope of the land.",
 "[7]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly recall the qanat system, underground channels that draw water from the aquifer and carry it to the fields below using gravity alone. Tayyib is delighted by the elegance of the solution. This was the perfect answer.",
 "[7]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Qanats",
 "[7]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that wells were dug throughout the oasis, allowing people to draw water by hand.",
 "[7]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Tayyib acknowledges that many wells were indeed dug to reach the water table. But wells alone could not supply the distant fields. That was the role of the qanats—underground channels that carried water by gravity, making large-scale farming possible.",
 "[7]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Wells",
 "[7]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that the farmers rely on the seasonal rains to water their crops.",
 "[7]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Tayyib reminds you that rainfall in the region is far too unpredictable to rely upon. The farmers use qanats instead, underground channels that carry water from the aquifer to the fields using gravity.",
 "[7]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Rainfall",
 "[7]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that they built a system of channels, cisterns and a reservoir to collect and store rainwater.",
 "[7]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly describe the ingenious system of channels, cisterns and a reservoir that captured and stored rainwater, supplying the sacred site with water. Tayyib nods, impressed by their foresight. This was the ideal answer.",
 "[7]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Rainwater Collection",
 "[7]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that there must have been a concealed well somewhere within the rocks.",
 "[7]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Tayyib shakes his head. The area is known to have no wells at all. The water was in fact supplied by a system of channels, cisterns, and a reservoir that collected rainwater.",
 "[7]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "A Hidden Well",
 "[7]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You guess that water was carried up from the oasis whenever it was needed.",
 "[7]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Tayyib doubts that enough water could have been carried over such a distance for every gathering. In reality, the site was supplied by an ingenious system of channels, cisterns and a reservoir that captured and stored rainwater.",
 "[7]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Carried from the Oasis",

Mission 8

 "Location_8": {
   "english": "Ikmah Mountain ",
 "Mission_8_Description": {
   "english": "You come across a scholar at Jabal Ikmah, the great open-air library of the valley, who has spent years studying the hundreds of inscriptions carved into its stones. She is gathering the valley's history into a single record, in order to create a perpetual source of knowledge. \n\nShe asks you to help her complete her work. In exchange, she is happy to give you a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription. ",
 "Mission_8_Outcome_High": {
   "english": "Lubna bint Aws closes her record with deep satisfaction. Your knowledge has enriched a work that will speak to generations yet to come. She gladly hands over the fragment of ancient Nabataean inscription. You now have everything you need to decipher it.",
 "Mission_8_Outcome_Low": {
   "english": "Lubna bint Aws thanks you for your efforts, though your answers did little to help her complete her record. True to her word, she honours your bargain and hands over a fragment of ancient Nabataean inscription. You now have everything you need to decipher it.",
 "Mission_8_Outcome_Mid": {
   "english": "Lubna bint Aws thanks you for your help, despite a few moments of confusion along the way. She passes on a fragment of an ancient Nabataean inscription. You now have everything you need to translate the inscription.",
 "Mission_8_Step_1_Description": {
   "english": "The scholar introduces herself as Lubna bint Aws. She tells you these stones bear centuries of prayers, including those of farmers asking for abundant rain. Then she asks you a difficult question. As these rocks bear many different scripts, she wants to discover which one gave rise to the Arabic script used today.",
 "Mission_8_Step_1_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you have gathered traces the history of the languages inscribed on these stones.",
 "Mission_8_Step_1_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Mother of Letters",
 "Mission_8_Step_2_Description": {
   "english": "Lubna shows you an inscription in Latin, the script of distant Rome. She asks if you know why Roman soldiers once garrisoned a fort at Hegra, so far from the heart of their empire.",
 "Mission_8_Step_2_Hint": {
   "english": "Some of the knowledge you gathered explains what brought the Romans to this region.",
 "Mission_8_Step_2_Subtitle": {
   "english": "Soldiers from afar",
 "Mission_8_Step_3_Description": {
   "english": "Finally, Lubna shows you her strangest find: the fossil of a great shelled creature embedded in the rock, lying on its back. She says she has found others like it, and every one of them is upside down. She asks how you think they came to be here.",
 "Mission_8_Step_3_Hint": {
   "english": "You have valuable knowledge about the traces ancient life has left in the rocks of this region.",
 "Mission_8_Step_3_Subtitle": {
   "english": "The Creature in the Stone",
 "Mission_8_Title": {
   "english": "The Scholar",
 "[8]_[1]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that the Arabic script used today evolved from Nabataean script.",
 "[8]_[1]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly recall that the Arabic script developed from Nabataean script. Lubna smiles: the very script you have been tracing across the valley is the ancestor of the Arabic script used today. It was the perfect answer.",
 "[8]_[1]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Nabataean",
 "[8]_[1]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You answer that the Arabic script must have originated from Greek script brought by distant traders.",
 "[8]_[1]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Lubna shakes her head. Greek inscriptions can be found among the stones of the valley, brought here through trade, but the Arabic script used today developed from Nabataean script.",
 "[8]_[1]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Greek",
 "[8]_[1]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You answer that the Arabic script descended from the ancient Dadanitic script carved into these rocks.",
 "[8]_[1]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "\"A good guess,\" Lubna admits, \"as many of these inscriptions are indeed written in the ancient Dadanitic script. But that script disappeared with the kingdom that used it. The Arabic script used today developed instead from Nabataean script—the very one you have been learning to recognise.\"",
 "[8]_[1]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Dadanitic",
 "[8]_[2]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that, after Rome annexed the Nabataean kingdom, a garrison was stationed at Hegra to protect the trade routes and collect taxes.",
 "[8]_[2]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly recall that, after Emperor Trajan annexed the Nabataean kingdom, Rome stationed a garrison at Hegra to protect the caravan route and collect customs duties along it. It may even have been the easternmost outpost of the entire empire. Lubna is delighted. It was the perfect answer.",
 "[8]_[2]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Guard the Trade Route",
 "[8]_[2]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that the fort was a base from which Rome planned to conquer all of Arabia.",
 "[8]_[2]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Lubna explains that no Roman legions ever marched to conquer the deep desert. Instead, after Rome annexed the Nabataean kingdom, a garrison was stationed at Hegra to protect the caravan route and collect customs duties along it.",
 "[8]_[2]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Conquer Arabia",
 "[8]_[2]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that the fort housed soldiers who had been posted there as a punishment.",
 "[8]_[2]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Lubna laughs and admits that soldiers stationed so far from home may well have felt they were being punished. In fact, after Rome annexed the Nabataean kingdom, a garrison was stationed at Hegra to protect the caravan route and collect customs duties along it.",
 "[8]_[2]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Punishment",
 "[8]_[3]_[1]_Option": {
   "english": "You explain that these are the remains of creatures that lived in a shallow sea which covered this land in an age beyond memory. When they died, their shells were overturned and buried beneath the seabed, where they became fossils.",
 "[8]_[3]_[1]_Suitability": {
   "english": "You correctly recall that the rocks in the north of the valley preserve the fossilised remains of sea creatures from an age long before any people walked this land. Many were overturned by powerful storms and buried on their backs. Lubna gazes at the fossils with a new sense of wonder. It was the perfect answer.",
 "[8]_[3]_[1]_Title": {
   "english": "Creatures of an Ancient Sea",
 "[8]_[3]_[2]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest it must be a carving, cut by the same hands that made the inscriptions.",
 "[8]_[3]_[2]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Lubna points out that there are no chisel marks on the rock, and no carver would have carved every creature upside down. In fact, the shape is the fossilised remains of a creature that lived in an ancient sea which once covered this land.",
 "[8]_[3]_[2]_Title": {
   "english": "Carvings",
 "[8]_[3]_[3]_Option": {
   "english": "You suggest that wind and rain shaped it by chance, just as they carved the great canyons of the Ramm Valley.",
 "[8]_[3]_[3]_Suitability": {
   "english": "Lubna agrees that wind and rain can sculpt remarkable landscapes, as the canyons of the Ramm Valley show. But the weather could never create the same creature over and over again, always lying on its back. In fact, it is the fossilised remains of a creature that lived in an ancient sea which once covered this land.",
 "[8]_[3]_[3]_Title": {
   "english": "Wind and Rain",

Finale

 "End_Screen_Contents": {
   "english": "Congratulations! You have deciphered the inscription and completed your journey in AlUla. ​\n\nIf you want to replay the story and continue to explore AlUla, please go to the Settings menu and clear your progress.​",
 "Toast_FinalGame_1": {
   "english": "Well done! You have gathered all the fragments you will need to decipher the ancient Nabataean inscription. Click on the button at the centre to start.  ​",


 "Final_inscription": {
   "english": "May the descendants who have come to this place listen to the masons who built the tomb for eternity, and hold them in good remembrance.",
 "Inscription_1": {
   "english": "This is the tomb which Khln the physician, son of Wʾln, created for himself and his children and his descendants",
 "Inscription_2": {
   "english": "May any man who went to Hegra be safe",
 "Inscription_3": {
   "english": "Rabîbel the strategos took possession of this place",
 "Inscription_4": {
   "english": "ʿAbdʿubdat son of Wahballâhî and Hâniʾû son of ʿAbîda and Afṣâ son of Ḥawṭû, the masons, created it",
 "Inscription_5": {
   "english": "This is the grave which Kamkam daughter of Waʾilat daughter of Ḥarâmû and Kulaybat, her daughter, made for themselves",
 "Inscription_6": {
   "english": "This is the tomb which ʿydw son of K{h}[y]{l}w son of ʾlksy created for himself",
 "Inscription_7": {
   "english": "Let it not be opened over them forever",
 "Inscription_8": {
   "english": "Good remembrance for Zydw",
 "Word_1_Correct": {
   "english": "descendants",
 "Word_1_Wrong_1": {
   "english": "river",
 "Word_1_Wrong_2": {
   "english": "man",
 "Word_2_Correct": {
   "english": "went",
 "Word_2_Wrong_2": {
   "english": "open",
 "Word_2_wrong_1": {
   "english": "sun",
 "Word_3_Correct": {
   "english": "this place",
 "Word_3_incorrect_1": {
   "english": "carve",
 "Word_3_incorrect_2": {
   "english": "tree",
 "Word_4_Correct": {
   "english": "the masons",
 "Word_4_Wrong_1": {
   "english": "rain",
 "Word_4_Wrong_2": {
   "english": "travel",
 "Word_5_Correct": {
   "english": "made",
 "Word_5_Incorrect_1": {
   "english": "moon",
 "Word_5_Incorrect_2": {
   "english": "journey ",
 "Word_6_Correct": {
   "english": "the tomb",
 "Word_6_Wrong_1": {
   "english": "remembrance",
 "Word_6_Wrong_2": {
   "english": "stars",
 "Word_7_Correct": {
   "english": "forever",
 "Word_7_Incorrect_1": {
   "english": "when",
 "Word_7_Incorrect_2": {
   "english": "good",
 "Word_8_Correct": {
   "english": "remembrance",
 "Word_8_Incorrect_1": {
   "english": "descendants",
 "Word_8_Incorrect_2": {
   "english": "son",
 "TUT_Inscription_Content_1": {
   "english": "At the bottom of the screen, you will find the fragments with the words you collected after completing each mission, along with their possible translations.\n\nAt the top of the screen, you will find the inscriptions these words come from, along with their full translations.",
 "TUT_Inscription_Content_2": {
   "english": "\nFirst, drag the word from the bottom of the screen onto the matching symbol in the inscription at the top. \n  \nUse the arrow buttons to look at the different inscriptions at the top of the screen. ",
 "TUT_Inscription_Content_3": {
   "english": "Once you have identified the matching symbol, select its correct meaning using the full translation of the inscription at the top.",

Misc

 "Toast_FirstMissionFinished_1": {
   "english": "Excellent work! You need to complete seven more missions to be able to decipher the ancient inscription.",
 "Toast_FirstMissionFinished_2": {
   "english": "Check the remaining locations on your map to start your next mission. ​",
 "Toast_FourMissionsFinished_1": {
   "english": "Fantastic progress! You are halfway through gathering the fragments of inscriptions you need to translate the ancient inscription.​",
 "Toast_FinalMissionActive_1": {
   "english": "Good job! You only need one more fragment to be able to translate the ancient inscription. ​",
 "Toast_FinalMissionActive_2": {
   "english": "There is a scholar at Ikmah Mountain that needs your help. Head to the area I have marked on your map to complete the last mission. ",