Al-Dar’i heritage site in Jouf showcases area’s rich history

The ancient Al-Dar’i neighborhood of Dumat Al-Jandal in the Jouf region showcases the area’s rich heritage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Recent excavations have unearthed Assyrian pottery from the eighth century B.C. and finds from the Nabataean era.

Archaeological evidence has indicated that people continued to inhabit the site during the early Islamic era and subsequent periods, making it one of the oldest neighborhoods in Dumat Al-Jandal and the region.

Located nearby are several farms, the regional museum, and the old emirate palace.

The southern entrance — one of five — to Al-Dar’i leads to Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque, Marid Castle, and the market, while the eastern and western entrances provide access to farms and residential areas.

Al-Dar’i covers an area of approximately 30,000 square meters and includes more than 40 one-, two-, and three-storey stone houses built on the foundations of older structures, and with narrow pathways connecting them.

The Jouf region is one of the Kingdom’s most historic, containing artifacts, drawings, engravings, and writings from the Islamic, Thamudic, Nabataean, and Roman eras.