Database: Memory of an Old Civilization
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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 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 ancient languages: Aramaic, Thamudic, Sabaic, Minaic, Nabataean, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and 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.
In recognition of this significance, the 'Jabal Ikmah' site was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register in 2023.