Uthman ibn Affan inscription

The Uthman Ibn Affan Inscription is a stone inscription discovered in 2020 within the boundaries of the Alia Palace archaeological site, located in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia, one of the sites registered in the National Antiquities Register.

Inscription
The inscription is the third oldest dated rock document of Islamic inscriptions. Its content appears similar to that of the Inscription of Zuhair (Naqsh Zuhair), which was discovered at the Al-Ula Governorate in Al-Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia, in which the writer documented the date of death of the Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab. The origins of both inscriptions can be traced back to 24 AH, which corresponds to between 644 and 645 AD.

After detailed analysis, the following text was found to be engraved on the stone:

“I, Zuhayr, believe in God and wrote during the time when Uthman ibn Affan became the caliph in the year twenty-four.”