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Rock Art at AlUla: Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah

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Located in the Valley of Villages, AlUla showcases some of the best rock art that you will ever lay your eyes on.

A significant pit-stop in the frankincense trade route, AlUla is of great importance culturally. Not only that, the place is also an archaeological marvel.

The cliffs of sandstone surrounding the region have served as canvases to the people of the past. The rock art at AlUla is evidence to the fact that this part of Saudi has always had the most artistic of people. Not only the natives, but even the visitors resting at AlUla along their trade journey have left messages and inscriptions as rock art at AlUla, that today serves as morsels of history to us.

From giving offerings and blessings to prayers to the universe, the rocks display everything that was on the minds of the people back then.

Rock Art AlUla: The Three Important Sites

Whether it is Jabal Ikmah with its prescriptions of the past, or Hegra with its screenshots of history, rock art at AlUla will leave you awestruck.

Here are the three most important sites to witness the beauty and enormity of rock art AlUla:

1. Hegra

If you want to experience rock art at AlUla in its most pristine form, then you must visit Hegra during your holiday in Saudi. Declared by UNESCO as a heritage site, Hegra must make it to your list of places to visit, especially if you are an archaeological or history devotee.

A site with archaeological gold, Hegra is still an untouched region of Saudi, and therefore of great value to an explorer like you. From the mysteries around the civilization that built this gorgeous site to the similarities between Hegra and Petra in Jordan, you will be privy to a number of secrets that Hegra holds in the folds of her heart.

When in Hegra, expect your intellectual curiosity to be tickled. Offering an extremely close encounter with the Nabataeans, think of Hegra as a magical door that has on its other side some very important answers about the nomads who turned into the most powerful merchants that the world has ever seen. 

2. Dadan

The city of Dadan is undoubtedly one of the most significant heritage sites in AlUla. From learning about the earliest kingdoms of Dadan as well as Lihyan, to getting a glimpse of the inception of modernity in Saudi, the mountains of Dadan and the artworks on them spill all the beans.

Some unmissable exhibitions include the tombs that look like regular geometrical patterns from a distance, but as you make your way toward them you will see how artistically each of these tombs has been crafted on the rocks. The Lion Tombs also must be a part of your itinerary, and you must make it a point to study them closely, taking in the fine details that make them so unique. The Lion Tombs were created for the most powerful people who enjoyed both riches and control and were considered royals even if not born into royalty. Spending time with these tombs is sure to prompt a sense of wonder and awe in you.

The inscriptions on the rocks of Dadan encapsulate everything from agriculture to social and spiritual activities. You will see information around what kinds of crops were grown during that time by the people of Dadan. You will also see carvings about the laws that were upheld in society and snapshots of codes that people lived by.

3. Jabal Ikmah

While our usual encounter with history happens in a closed library, between the dusty pages of old books, in Jabal Ikmah the experience is completely different. Here the rocks and the artworks on them invite you to have a rendezvous with the times gone by, under an open sky with nature smiling in the background.

In a canyon valley at AlUla, numerous inscriptions await you, some of these date back to the last millennium BC. From farm animals and wild animals to a variety of musical instruments, the artworks on the rocks of Jabal Ikmah will tell you an enrapturing tale about the past.

AlUla is one of the richest regions of Saudi when it comes to heritage. Offering discoveries about the past to every visitor on a daily basis, AlUla has emerged as an important destination for people who love walking into the past and emerging out of it wiser and richer because of the experience.

A Saudi trip with friends, family, or even solo, would be incomplete if you didn’t see the rock art at AlUla. The rocks await you, when are you visiting? 

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