The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is full of many heritage sites that embraced civilizations and diverse cultures dating back more than 16 thousand years. This diversity includes archaeological sites, such as Madain Saleh, or regions in Najran and Jizan, or heritage villages as in the Asir region, or ancient holy places in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. It also includes Hajj and Umrah routes, valleys, lakes and plateaus, forming a diverse heritage for the place with its multiple geographies.

Among the regions that contain archaeological and heritage sites, which are being registered in UNESCO, is the Al-Jouf region, which is rich in the existence of many ancient buildings and ruins, some of which date back thousands of years. Al-Jouf is considered among the oldest sites of human settlement in the Arabian Peninsula, and its intermediate location between a number of ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Levant and the southern Arabian Peninsula has contributed to its prosperity during its various eras, and made its scattered residential areas and gatherings paths for ancient commercial and military caravans. There are buildings and ruins in the region that date back thousands of years.

Heritage Districts:

Among the most prominent of Al-Jouf's heritage districts is (Al-Dara'a district), which was approved for inclusion in the UNESCO list on October 24, 2014. The district has an area of (30) thousand square meters, and is consisting of ruins in the middle of Dumat al-Jandal within the archaeological area next to the Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque in Al-Jouf.

The district consists of adjacent stone houses, and alleys connected to each other, some of which are covered by arches, reflecting the harmony that existed among the people of the region. Some of the district's houses consist of two floors and are roofed with tamarisk and palm fronds. The architectural style of the district reflects the authentic Arabic culture that merges the ethics of chivalry with social affection, and it is one of the remaining traces witnessing what the ancient city of Dumat al-Jandal was like.

The walls and stone buildings in the district reflect what the life of Muslims was like in the medieval Islamic era, even though it is built on other archaeological layers, and foundations dating back to the middle of the first millennium BC. The stone buildings are also located between orchards, trees, and palms, and water channels that secured life for the residents from nearby water springs.

Among the heritage districts that Al-Jouf includes is (Za'abal district) or (Al-Dila' district) located in the northwest of Sakaka city. it is considered a model for the architectural style prevalent in the Al-Jouf region in recent history on one hand, and for the urban planning of residential gatherings on the other. The district is located on the slope of a high hill, and contains a group of adjacent mud houses, and its area is estimated at about 20 thousand square meters.

Dumat al-Jandal:

The (Dumat al-Jandal Oasis) constitutes one of the important heritage sites in the Al-Jouf region, as it was registered in the list of heritage in the Islamic world, by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in January 2020. This registration comes as a culmination of the historical and civilizational status that the Kingdom enjoys in general, and is expected to give a strong push to the efforts exerted by the state in highlighting and protecting heritage sites in the Kingdom and registering more heritage sites in the Al-Jouf region. The Dumat al-Jandal Oasis is considered among the sites nominated for registration in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Dumat al-Jandal Oasis in Al-Jouf region hosts the Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque, Marid Castle, the historic Dumat al-Jandal market, Al-Dara'a district, the Al-Jouf Regional Museum, and various elements of all tourism types such as national heritage, agriculture, and environmental landscape that attract large numbers of visitors seeking authenticity and heritage.

Al-Jouf includes a number of heritage palaces: Al-Iyshan Palace, with an area of 4000 m, the Emirate Palace in Al-Isawiya, Kaf Palace with an area of 2700 m, the old Emirate Palace in the Al-Haditha center, Al-Hawas Palace, and Al-Wasia'a Palace.

The archaeological area in Dumat al-Jandal vernorate also includes the city's old market, which is remnants of old shops built of stone where the Arabs used to start their markets in the pre-Islamic era in Rabia' al-Thani of each year. It has been currently restored to be a headquarters for a number of shops.

Among the archaeological areas is (Kaf village) located to the east of Al-Qurayyat vernorate. it consists of adjacent mud houses interconnected within small farms. In the middle of the village is a small mosque built of stone with an area of (150) meters. The village also includes a school built of stones designed in the old Islamic architectural style. Near the village are many running sulfur springs used for irrigating palm farms.

It is noteworthy that the Kingdom has nominated since 2015 until today a group of heritage sites for registration in World Heritage sites, which are: Darb Zubaida (the Hajj route from Kufa to Makkah Al-Mukarramah), extending across the northern border regions, Hail, Qassim, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

And the Hejaz Railway, located between the Tabuk and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah regions, and the Shami Hajj route located between the Tabuk, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and Makkah Al-Mukarramah regions, and the Egyptian Hajj route between the Tabuk, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and Makkah Al-Mukarramah regions, and the archaeological Al-Faw village, located within the Riyadh region, and the Rijal Alma'a heritage village in Asir region, and Dhee Ayn heritage village in Al-Baha region, and the historic Dumat al-Jandal Oasis (Al-Dara'a district in Dumat al-Jandal) in Al-Jouf region, and the 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve, extending between Najran and Riyadh regions, and the Farasan Islands Reserve, in Jazan region.

Also, the Saudi sites that have already been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage list are: Al-Hijr (Madain Saleh), in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah region, Al-Turaif district in Diriyah in Riyadh region, Historic Jeddah in Makkah Al-Mukarramah region, Rock Art in the Hail region (Jubbah and Al-Shuwaymis), Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province, and Hima Cultural Area in Najran region.

References:

• https://www.spa.v.sa/2027954

• https://cgc.v.sa/ar/node/219

• https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/

• Book: Urban Heritage in Al-Jouf Region: Tourism Development Council in Al-Jouf region.