Snapshots
Community
Heritage is not only represented by documents and places, but perpetually recreated as people, experts and institutions remember and reinterpret the meaning of the past in view of their aspirations for the present and future. As it is local communities who have served as guardians of the region’s heritage over the years, UNESCO is committed to ensuring community engagement is at the heart of the MoW Programme’s documentary heritage preservation in AlUla.
Jabal Ikmah
Jabal Ikmah earned its name as AlUla's 'open library' for a documentary heritage collection that represents the largest concentration of well-preserved Dadanitic and Lihyanite inscriptions anywhere in the world. Explore UNESCO's photographic gallery showcasing inscriptions that chronicle rituals, relations with neighboring kingdoms, and even depict the animals that roamed across the Dadanite Kingdom through remarkable rock art.
Abu Ud
Abu Ud Beyond a blend of the Dadanitic script and early Arabic inscriptions, Abu Ud is a trove for rock art carved by ancient civilizations. The rock art preserves an image of the relationship between human inhabitants of AlUla and the region's rich biodiversity, with depictions of the animals that roamed the landscape, including camels, ostriches, and other animals.
Al Aqra'a Mountain
Kufic Arabic inscriptions dominate the walls of Al Aqra'a Mountain, immortalizing the names, customs, and beliefs of those who inhabited and passed through the historical pilgrimage route north of AlUla Valley.
Hegra (Mada'in Saleh)
Take a look at Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hegra (Mada'in Saleh) archaeological site in AlUla, which features monumental Nabataean rock-cut tombs with ornate facades decorated with epigraphs.
Dadan, Old Town, and the modern city of AlUla
Beyond the unique documentary heritage of AlUla, the region is notable for its Dadan Lion Tombs, remarkable rock formation, and its Old Town. The Old Town of AlUla was once a thriving social and commercial hub, featuring town squares, trading stores, and hundreds of houses. Continually inhabited from the 12th century until its last residents parted in the 1980s, AlUla Old Town is now a remnant of the past, with the modern city built besides it.
AlUla exhibition at UNESCO
During the 42nd Session of UNESCO's General Conference, the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme exhibited photographs of documentary heritage from across the world for participants and visitors to engage with, and included a section focused on documentary heritage from AlUla.
Milestones
See the progress, discussions and milestones that enable the project's objectives to materialize.