Located at the south of King Fahd Park in the Najran region, Al-Tharwa Mountain features a living archive that tells the story of early Islamic art, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The mountain’s rocky features contain archaeological evidence of Islamic calligraphy in its early stages.
Interestingly, the rocks feature rare Islamic inscriptions that serve as a historical record mirroring the ancient past and the richness of Islamic civilization.
Moreover, these inscriptions reflect the precision and exceptional beauty of early Islamic art and calligraphy, representing an important transitional phase in the history of Arabic arts and calligraphy.
Open-Air Museum
In the lights of this, Al-Tharwa Mountain has become into an open-air museum which narrates chapters from the beginnings of Islamic civilization.
“Islamic inscriptions are an important and fundamental source for studying Islamic history and civilization. Najran abounds with a large number of such inscriptions dating back to the early Islamic period,” Dr. Salem bin Ahmad bin Tairan, professor of Semitic languages, ancient writings, and archaeology at King Saud University, said.
Through the archaeological survey of inscriptions and ancient writings in the region, teams have identified and documented more than 200 Kufic Islamic inscriptions across several sites, most notably Al-Tharwa Mountain in Saqam, south of Wadi Najran.
In this regard, the professor noted that they also found 33 Islamic inscriptions in Al-Tharwa Mountain, 26 of which belong to members of a single family.
Despite the fact that these inscriptions are undated, the style of the script and the names of the individuals mentioned reveal that they date back to the second and third centuries AH.
At first glimpses into the newly discovered inscriptions, one can see religious phrases and prayers, expressing belief in death, trust in Allah, monotheism, and blessings upon the Prophet, as well as the signatures of their authors.
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