Discover the History of Arabic at Riyadh’s Unique 28 Letters Exhibition
RIYADH — A journey through the story of one of humanity’s oldest languages awaits visitors at “Arabic Language: Twenty-Eight Letters of Light,” an exhibition now open at the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language headquarters in Riyadh.
The exhibition brings the history of Arabic out of books and dictionaries into an interactive, technology-driven experience. Through galleries and interactive stations, visitors can explore linguistic topics, engage with modern educational platforms, and participate in training sessions designed to enhance Arabic learning and teaching methods.
A Journey Through Language and Script
One section traces the history of languages in the Arabian Peninsula, showing how scholars place Arabic within the Hamito-Semitic language family specifically among the Southwest Semitic languages, which include both Northern and Southern Arabic. Many scholars believe Arabic is the closest surviving Semitic language to the ancient Proto-Semitic tongue.
Among the exhibits are authentic rock specimens bearing ancient inscriptions, including Thamudic and Nabataean scripts, preserved over centuries as enduring evidence of the evolution of writing across Arabia.
Another section traces the evolution of writing itself. Early civilizations wrote on stone, copper, wood, clay tablets, tree materials, camel shoulder blades and ribs, and leather. The Sumerians introduced the sharpened stylus in the early fourth millennium BC, using pointed wooden implements to inscribe soft clay tablets giving rise to cuneiform writing.
Writing instruments continued to evolve over the centuries. The Umayyad period saw the rise of calligraphers Khalid ibn Abi al-Hayyaj and Qutbah al-Muharrir, while the Abbasid era brought Ibn Muqlah, regarded as the master of Arabic calligraphy, and his student Ibn al-Bawwab. Arab scholars developed detailed rules for holding and cutting pens and produced books devoted to writing instruments. Papermaking flourished during the Abbasid era, and Muslims were the first to introduce paper to Spain, paving the way for its spread across Europe.
A Cultural Landmark
The exhibition serves as a cultural landmark in Riyadh, reinforcing the status of Arabic while supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in the cultural, tourism, and heritage sectors. It presents Arabic in its cultural and scientific contexts and showcases Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support the language, develop Arabic-language education, strengthen its presence in academic circles, and promote it globally.
Ali Al-Ahmad, a doctoral researcher in philology, said the exhibition succeeds in transforming the history of Arabic “from the dry theoretical setting of lecture halls and dissertations into a living, interactive space that engages the senses.” “Visitors almost feel that Arabic is a living organism, constantly evolving and responding to the changes in its environment,” he added.
Seeing the roots of words, patterns of derivation, and semantic development presented through visual and interactive platforms, he said, “compresses years of traditional learning. The exhibition bridges the gap between the digital generation and the authenticity of the Arabic script.”
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