Jabal Ikmah (جبل عكمة) or more then 300 Inscriptions at al-'Ula (ٱلْعُلَا), Saudi Arabia

 

This blog post is also about al'Ula (ٱلْعُلَا‎), where there is simply so much to see, and you can see various archaeological monuments all at once [1]. Today I want to talk about Jabal Ikmah (جبل عكمة). “Inducted into UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, Jabal Ikmah features more than 300 historically significant carved inscriptions. This spectacular mountain contains the largest concentration of Dadanitic and Lihyanite inscriptions in the world.” [2]

It is unclear what led to this particular region being covered with inscriptions over centuries and across different civilizations. According to one theory, the sedimentary rock, with its ease of working, invited these inscriptions and images. Much has been learned about the Lihyanite civilization, which flourished from the 6th century BCE to the 2nd century BCE, through these inscriptions. Chronological data about the kingdom, toponyms, commercial transactions, names of various musical instruments such as flutes, drums, and stringed instruments, descriptions of sculpture and metalwork, and much more were found. The rocky region is often described as an open library [3]. Inscriptions in various languages were found, including Dadanitic, Aramaic, Safaitic, Minaic, Nabataean, and others that predate the Arabic era and also influenced the development of the Arabic script.

I guess you didn'd expect the reptiloids among the readers of these scripts

The pictures are also taken in the “impressive” mode, which makes inscriptions better visible. I selected pictures that show the different techniques used.

Links and Annotations:
[1] The City of AlUla in Saudi Arabia – An Overview
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-city-of-alula-in-saudi-arabia.html 
The Lion Tombs at Dadan or al-'Ula (ٱلْعُلَا), Saudi Arabia
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-lion-tombs-at-dadan-or-al-ula-saudi.html 
[2] https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/alula/attractions/jabal-ikmah-in-alula 
[3] https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%84_%D8%B9%D9%83%D9%85%D8%A9#%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9 – only available in Arabic!

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Petroglyphs and Inscriptions at Jabel Umm Mountain, Saudi Arabia

I would like to report on the rock art in the Ha'il Region (الفنون الصخرية في منطقة حائل), specifically in the area surrounding Jabel Umm Mountain (جبل أم سنمان) near the city of Jubbah (جبة) [1]. I have previously reported on petroglyphs and inscriptions from various countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Jordan [2]. I am always amazed at how similar these ancient depictions from different times and places are, but this is due to the materials used and the artists' desire for realistic representation.

The petroglyphs and inscriptions at Jabel Umm Mountain were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. These depictions date back up to 10,000 years. The Neolithic images depict, for example, ibex; later, other wild and domesticated animals were added: equids, lesser kudu, gazelles, ostriches, lions, dogs, camels, cattle, but also plants and hunting scenes with hunters with bows and dogs. People can be seen on mounts (horses and camels). Overall, the depictions also offer insights into the social life of these times, about which we have no linguistic records. There are some inscriptions of later times, but these are more prominent at another site, which I plan to write about later. 

NB. Most pictures here are in enhanced mode to make them better visible.

Links and Annotations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Art_of_Hail_Province and https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1472/ 
[2] Petroglyphs at Tamgaly 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2014/10/petroglyphs-at-tamgaly.html 
Wadi Rum and Mars  
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2022/04/wadi-rum-and-mars.html  
Mongolia – Some Petroglyphs in the Orkhon Valley 
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2024/04/mongolia-some-petroglyphs-in-orkhon.html 

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