Ancient Arab sites show potential of exchanges

Hegra was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, as one of the first entries to the list from Saudi Arabia.

There is tantalizing evidence of long-distance exchanges.

Discovery of a dyed silk piece in AlUla, for example, may create room for scholarly conjecture as silk was originally from China.

Frequent trade and changing rulers also brought an evolution of cultures. Many carved inscriptions are particularly chosen for a section of the display focusing on the evolution of the writing systems and languages in the region.

Arabic script was thought to be developed through continuous evolution from Nabataean, a local version of Aramaic script. Scholars widely believe that Jesus Christ used Aramaic.