A true crossroads between three continents and the former gateway from Arabia to the Mediterranean, AlUla is home to some of Saudi Arabia’s most important cultural and historical sites. Indeed, the exhibition recreates the life of an AlUla garden, in the heart of which the visitor is invited to stroll around and soak up the local essences (moringa, date, fig…) through olfactory installations.įor His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla, the exhibition is a unique opportunity to showcase the wonders of the site: “We are delighted that the first international exhibition dedicated to the inhabitants, heritage and history of AlUla is being launched at the Arab World Institute. Visitors to the exhibition will discover the daily life of the peoples who have occupied the valley over the centuries and up to the present day, through activities, but also through archaeological specimens, plants, traditional tools, photographs and contemporary testimonies. The exhibition ends with a guided tour of the old town of AlUla, inhabited for eight centuries by indigenous communities and by pilgrims journeying to Mecca, and gives a voice to the inhabitants, historians, teachers, storytellers, or farm owners, who are the custodians of this place, which is both historically charged and forwardlooking. An inscription dated 280CE, a real missing link between the Nabataean and Arabic alphabets, is on display for the first time, demonstrating how AlUla offers a unique testimony to the birth of the Arabic language. Monumental statues and numerous archaeological objects punctuate the exhibition and illustrate the richness of AlUla’s past. where visitors can project themselves into the majestic atmosphere of this unique site – A UNESCO World Heritage Site comparable – in its scale and importance – to that of Petra in Jordan.
Further on, there is a Nabataean funeral ceremony in a replica of one of Hegra’s famous tombs. The exhibition routeįrom the very beginning of the exhibition, Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s monumental images project the visitor into the majesty of AlUla’s reliefs and colours. Their research has brought to light exceptional remains, some of which will be exhibited for the first time. It is also a tribute to the most important archaeological work carried out over the past twenty years led by the two curators of the exhibition: the French archaeologist and epigraphist Laïla Nehmé and the Saudi archaeologist Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani.
The exhibit offers an encounter with the exciting history of this unique place, as well as with its natural splendours. The “AlUla, Wonder of Arabia” exhibition introduces its visitors to this dual heritage, natural and human, with the help of rare archaeological objects and artefacts, digital, sound and sensory devices, all supported by exclusive videos by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. In AlUla, numerous societies and civilizations have followed one another: Neolithic peoples, kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan, Nabataean civilization, Roman empire, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, Ottomans – their remains have been miraculously preserved to reach us in an exceptional state of conservation. This enchanting setting, which is imprinted in the memory of all those who have visited it, also shelters the multiple and spectacular traces inscribed by generations of men and women attracted by the riches of one of the most fertile valleys of the Arabian Peninsula, for over 7000 years. The Arab World Institute invites visitors to discover AlUla, one of the most significant archaeological regions in the world with its exhibition – the first event of the 2019 academic year.Ī magical place where extraordinary landscapes meet: the AlUla region is an exquisite sight, from the deep green of the oasis to the ochre of the sand, from the red of the sandstone canyons to the black tones of the volcanic rocks.
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