Bir Hima (Ḥimā)
Saudi Arabia · Asia · ✦ UNESCO World Heritage Site
A desert crossroads north of Najran covered in millennia of rock art and some of Arabia’s oldest inscriptions.
Age
~7,000 yrs
Period
Neolithic onward
Setting
Open-air
Art form
Petroglyphs
Discovered
1951
Status
Open to Visitors
The Ḥimā Cultural Area, a caravan crossroads north of Najran, gathers thousands of petroglyphs and inscriptions across desert outcrops. Hunting scenes, cattle, camels and human figures span some 7,000 years, and the site preserves some of the earliest legible texts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Thousands of desert petroglyphs
- ◦ 7,000 years of hunting and herding scenes
- ◦ Among Arabia’s oldest inscriptions
Depicted Subjects
CamelsCattleHuman FiguresHunting Scenes
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.