Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has announced the discovery of a rock inscription mentioning Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam, during archaeological surveys conducted in Medina province.
The commission revealed on Tuesday that the inscription was among 1,774 archaeological findings made across two survey seasons in the Al Mahd Governorate.
Survey teams also documented 173 previously unknown archaeological sites during the mission.
The discoveries include 1,259 rock art drawings, 461 Islamic inscriptions, 34 inscriptions in the Thamudic language, 11 stone structures, three palaces and archaeological structures, two caravan route milestones and four wells. Among the findings were also ancient Arabic poems carved into rock.
Umar ibn al-Khattab governed the Islamic empire as the second Rashidun Caliph from 634 CE to 644 CE.
