AlUla: Ancient Kingdoms, Rock Art and the Hijaz Valley

AlUla is not a single site — it is a region with 7,000 years of continuous human habitation, containing the physical remains of at least four distinct ancient cultures: prehistoric Arabian pastoralists, the Dadan Kingdom, the Lihyan Kingdom, and the Nabataean Kingdom. Understanding this sequence makes a visit to AlUla significantly richer than simply seeing the Nabataean tombs at Hegra.

Prehistoric AlUla

The AlUla Valley has evidence of human habitation dating to at least the 5th millennium BC. The valley’s geography explains this continuity: underground water from the Hejaz Mountains sustains date palm cultivation, the valley floor is fertile compared to surrounding desert, and the sandstone cliff faces provide natural protection and canvas for artistic expression.

Rock drawings and ancient graffiti on the valley walls predate all the named kingdoms. Stone tools, hearths, and ancient campsites in the surrounding desert indicate a much longer human history in this landscape.

The Dadan Kingdom

Dadan was one of the most powerful commercial states in ancient northwestern Arabia. The Dadan Kingdom, which controlled the AlUla Valley from approximately the 9th to the 6th centuries BC, is attested in ancient Near Eastern records including the Bible — the Dedanites appear in Genesis and Ezekiel as traders in luxury goods.

The capital city of Dadan occupied the same valley as modern AlUla. Its ruins — partially excavated — include temple structures and distinctive carved “lion tombs” cut into the cliff face above the city. The lion image was significant in Dadan’s iconography, though its exact religious meaning remains debated.

The Lihyan Kingdom

The Lihyan Kingdom succeeded the Dadan Kingdom in the same valley, flourishing from approximately the 5th to the 2nd centuries BC. The Lihyanites developed a distinctive writing system (Lihyanite script, a variant of Ancient South Arabian) and produced remarkable stone sculpture — most notably large carved stone busts with distinctive facial features.

Lihyanite inscriptions are scattered across the AlUla Valley and surrounding area, particularly concentrated at Jabal Ikmah. These inscriptions range from royal dedications to votive texts to the ancient equivalent of graffiti.

Jabal Ikmah: The Open-Air Library

Jabal Ikmah is arguably the most extraordinary heritage site in AlUla for those interested in ancient language. The mountain’s sandstone faces carry thousands of inscriptions in multiple scripts: Lihyanite, Minaic, Thamudic, Nabataean, and early Arabic forms. Some inscriptions are religious dedications; others record names of visitors who passed through; others are simply marks of presence.

The variety of scripts at a single location reflects AlUla’s position on the ancient trade route — travellers from different cultural backgrounds passed through and left their marks. Jabal Ikmah is accessible as part of a guided AlUla tour. Book through our AlUla tours page.

The Nabataean Period at Hegra

The Nabataeans arrived in the AlUla Valley around the 1st century BC, building their southern city Hegra on the northern end of the valley. Hegra became a significant commercial centre on the incense trade route — a stopping point for caravans carrying frankincense and myrrh from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean.

For the full account of Hegra’s Nabataean tombs, see the Hegra guide.

AlUla Old Town

The old town of AlUla sits in the valley below the ancient sites — a compact mud-brick settlement that was inhabited until the 1980s when residents relocated to the modern town. The abandoned old town has been partially restored and can be explored on foot. It represents the most recent historical layer in a landscape of extraordinary depth.