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AlUla's Jabal Ikmah Listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register

AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)
AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)
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AlUla's Jabal Ikmah Listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register

AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)
AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) listed AlUla's Jabal Ikmah in its Memory of the World Register, years after Al-Hijr (Mada’in Salih) archeological site in AlUla governorate became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site to be inscribed in 2008.
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) announced the new Saudi achievement in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science after the Harrat Uwayrid entered UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program last year.
Jabal Ikmah is one of the most prominent historic sites in AlUla and is designated as one of the largest open-air libraries in the Arabian Peninsula.

According to SPA, it includes hundreds of carved inscriptions and stone carvings along the mountain made in different eras and civilizations, some thousands of years ago.

The listing of Jabal Ikmah on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register constitutes a model for cooperation to develop AlUla into a pioneering global destination for cultural and natural heritage.
Such cooperation binds RCU with UNESCO and a network of global partners to the commission, including ICOMOS Saudi Arabia, the Louvre Museum, and the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA).
Jabal Ikmah is one of the five central districts of the Journey Through Time Masterplan, and it embodies the convergence of nature and history in AlUla as part of projects to develop the natural and cultural environment and highlight cultural depth.
As part of the RCU efforts to preserve heritage, the Journey Through Time Masterplan included establishing the "Kingdoms Institute" in Dadan Oasis, whose design is inspired by the Dadanian civilization.
The institute includes several archaeological programs and research studies. It will specialize in studying and analyzing artifacts, their contents, the stories behind them, and the most prominent advanced scientific methodologies and international practices for archaeological excavation and heritage preservation.
RCU aims to share the legacy of the governorate with the world through various means of partnerships to help explore its features and natural and cultural environment.
This emanates from the commission’s commitment to double the importance of the historical status of the governorate and highlight its cultural features to achieve the goals of AlUla Vision, which are consistent with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
In the past few days, the commission, in partnership with UNESCO, issued the first newsletter of the "Memory of the Arab World" program to highlight AlUla’s legacy and the importance of documenting heritage, enriching civilizations, and cultural communication.
The bulletin included promoting awareness about the cultural diversity and heritage in AlUla. It also shed light on various inscriptions that display the unique history of the governorate and the different cultural meanings that aim to enhance communication between civilizations.
This reflects efforts to protect the historical, natural, and cultural sites of AlUla and promote a common understanding of the importance of documentary heritage as a gateway for education and dialogue between cultures.

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Southern California Wildfires Claim Will Rogers Ranch, Other Landmarks

The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
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Southern California Wildfires Claim Will Rogers Ranch, Other Landmarks

The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)
The devastation of the Palisades Fire is seen in the early morning in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP)

Raging wildfires that continue to burn a path of destruction through Southern California claimed the Will Rogers ranch along with a number of other local landmarks in what is already the most damaging fire in Los Angeles history.

Some monuments remain unscathed, such as the famous Hollywood sign that looms above the city in the Santa Monica mountains, and the Getty Villa, a museum named for billionaire oilman J. Paul Getty that houses a collection of artifacts and antiquities.

However, the Will Rogers ranch, home to the one-time vaudeville performer who rose to fame as a syndicated newspaper columnist, "cowboy philosopher," radio personality and movie star, was gutted on Tuesday by the Palisades Fire.

State parks employees were able to remove some of the cultural and historical artifacts from the Rogers home, though the 31-room ranch house and stables are gone. All that remains are two chimneys.

It is unclear whether touchstones from Rogers' life, such as a light fixture made from a wagon wheel and a stuffed calf that a friend gave him so he could rope on rainy day, were recovered.

"When you were there, you could really feel the guy’s presence," said Ben Yagoda, author of "Will Rogers: A Biography," who became overcome with emotion while discussing the loss. "It was kept exactly how they had it. It’s just such a lovely location and it’s very, very peaceful."

Another casualty of the fire was the Topanga Ranch Motel once owned by publisher William Randolph Hearst.

In Altadena, the Eaton Fire claimed the Bunny Museum, the quirky home to more than 46,000 rabbit-themed objects that owners Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski collected over four decades. The museum, which earned a Guinness world record for amassing the most bunny-related items, was leveled by fire on Wednesday, despite attempts by Lubanski to save it.

"The museum was the last building to burn around us as Steve so valiantly hosed the building down all night long, but when the building next door went down, it spread to the museum," the owners wrote on Instagram.

The Reel Inn, a seafood shack on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, was heavily damaged by the Palisades Fire. The restaurant known for its kitschy decor of faux sea creatures and twinkling lights was a local favorite, according to one review from Travel + Leisure.

"We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left," owners Teddy and Andy Leonard wrote on Instagram. "Hopefully, the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles."

The Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion Rand McNally co-founder Andrew McNally built in the late 1800s in Altadena was among the homes destroyed on Wednesday, according to video of the fire captured by ABC News.

"We aren't just losing homes -- we're losing history, culture, and pieces of our shared history," wrote Eric B. on the social media platform X.