Page 18 - Cultural Area News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

The southwestern border of the Hima Cultural Area is located approximately 18 miles (29 kilometers) to the northeast of the city of  Najran. This ancient settlement was an important stop on the region’s  incense trade  route, which carried incense from its origin in the area of modern-day Yemen to Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, and the Levant. This trade peaked between 800 BC and 600 BC but was around in one form or another long before that.  For caravans traveling on this important route, or on others connected to trade, the wells at Hima represented the last opportunity to acquire fresh water in the area. The site at Hima had a busy marketplace where merchants and traders could stop to sell their goods or stock up on supplies if they were just passing through. Hima sits on the edge of the foreboding  Rub ‘al Khali desert , a lifeless and desolate expanse of sand dunes and extreme temperatures that wouldn’t be survived for long by ancient travelers who entered unpr

Saudi arabiaArabian peninsulaSaudi arabia generalSaudi arabianKingdom of saudi arabiaAl khaliJasir alherbishNational heritageSaudi commission for tourismSaudi arabian heritage commissionSaudi press agencyBir himaWorld heritageCultural areaSaudi arabia bir himaBir hima saudi