Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission announced the discovery of the oldest known Arabic inscriptions. The inscription dates back to pre-Islamic times, 191 years before the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
It was discovered from Jabal Al-Haqqan mountain at the prominent Hima cultural site of the Najran region in southern Saudi Arabia. The commission stated that the Al-Haqqan inscription represents a vital phase in the evolution of Arabic scripts.
The inscription as per the Nabataean calendar dates back to around the year 380 and would be the sixth-oldest inscription in records.
The Al-Haqqan inscription was written before several other inscriptions in the Kingdom, including three in the governorate of AlUla, one in Najran, and others in Jouf and Tabuk.
One of the world’s largest open museums is the Hima cultural area which features burial mounds and a number of ancient inscriptions. The region is enrolled in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the main archaeological destinations in the Najran district.
It has caves and mountains with thousands of inscriptions and rock art over a 557-kilometre stretch.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
