Scripts

Examples of writing systems from all over the world, including inscriptions and manuscripts

World Heritage Sites connected to 'Scripts':

  • Aksum Ezana Stone (written in Ge'ez (the ancient Ethiopian language), Sabaean (South Arabian) and Greek) ; link
  • Al-Hijr From the Advisory body evaluation "Epigraphic traces of the pre-Nabataean period remain,and consist of some fifty inscriptions in Lihyanite script,which is specific to northern Arabia," and its conclusion "Through its epigraphy, the site bears testimony to the presence of many ancient languages over the course of history: Lihyanite, Talmudic script, Nabataean, Greek and Latin. It is of outstanding interest for the study of the origins and development of later Arabic languages and scripts." ; link
  • Aleppo Aleppo Codex
  • Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis Champollion came here and developed some of the ideas which led to his decipherment of the script
  • Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) Source of more than 16000 cuneiform tablets
  • Bisotun Inscription in Elamite, Babylonian and Old Persian
  • Byblos
  • Chongmyo Shrine
  • Convent of St. Gall
  • Copan Includes hieroglyphic texts
  • Dougga/Thugga Libyan, Punic, Greek, Roman inscriptions at the site led to the decipherment of the Libyan language
  • Jelling
  • Longmen Grottoes Longmen is known as forest of scripts with many Wei and Tang scriptions
  • Moenjodaro Indus Valley scriptures (one of the oldest in the world)
  • Mtskheta "Of special significance are early inscriptions, which form a valuable reference in the study of the origins of the early Georgian alphabet."
  • Neolithic Orkney Maes Howe - one of the largest, and most famous, collections of runes known in Europe.
  • Ohrid Region Slavic writing culture (and early Cyrillic alphabet)
  • Old Town of Lijiang Naxi script (pictograms)
  • Orkhon Valley Early 8th-century Turkic memorials to Bilge Khan and Kul Tigin with their Orkhon inscriptions are admittedly the most impressive monuments from the nomadic Göktürk Empire.
  • Quirigua Contains Maya glyphs
  • Rapa Nui Rongorongo script
  • Saint Catherine Area Early Christian manuscripts
  • Sigiriya Sigiriya Graffiti, early Sinhala writing system
  • Sukhothai King Ramkamhang's Inscription - Early Thai Alphabets
  • Tikal National Park Several hieroglyphic inscriptions
  • Xanthos-Letoon
  • Yin Xu
  • Yuso and Suso Monasteries First literature in Castillian and in Basque