Diriyah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diriyah (Arabic: الدرعية‎; also known as Ad-Dir'iyah or Ad-Dar'iyah) is a town in Saudi Arabia located outside of Riyadh in Ar Riyad Province. Its coordinates are 24°44′2″N, 46°34′24″E.

[edit] History and Structures

It is the traditional home of the House of Saud, and served as the capital for early Saudi states. Before the Egyptian attack on the city in 1818 it was the capital of the First Saudi State that dominated the whole peninsula. When Riyadh became the capital of the Second Saudi State and later Saudi Arabia the city lost its influence, but remained inhabited by bedouins until 1973

Some of the city's structures include the Salwa Palace, Saad bin Saud Palace, At Turaif Bath House, and the Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque.

[edit] Buildings

Salwa Palace It was the residence and first home of the Al Saud Amirs and Imams during the First Saudi State. It is considered the largest palace on the site. It is composed of five main parts built at different consecutive periods of time.

Saad bin Saud Palace One of the largest palaces on the site, it is famous for its courtyard, which was used as a stable. The palace is two stories high.

The Guest House and At Turaif Bath House The Guest House is a traditional building, and it consists of a number of small courtyards surrounded by rooms. The Bath House is famous for its different architectural styles and shows how the building was waterproofed by using different plasters. Both the Guest and Bath Houses were supplied with water from a well in the wadi (valley)

Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque This mosque was built during the reign of Imam Mohammad bin Saud. Sheik Mohammad bin Abdulwahab used to give lessons about his reformed movement of Islam in this mosque. It became a center for religious education. Students used to travel to it from all parts of the Arabian Peninsula.