Jewels of Saudi tourist attractions

Riyadh is a meeting place for the nation and the capital of the Kingdom.

It is characterized by its geographical location since it is located in the central part of the Kingdom. It is home for the government and all governmental divisions and major companies as well as foreign embassies in the Kingdom.

Riyadh encompasses the biggest universities and scientific institutes, and is characterized by the hundreds of entertainment centers and historical sites scattered within the area.

Riyadh unites between modernity and the past by high modern buildings and architecturally unique constructions.

A high quality infrastructure is found in a large number of its quarters. A circular network of roads is available which links the whole city together along with highways that link it to the rest of the areas. A huge airport is located to the north east of Riyadh.

Riyadh hosts the most important of gulf, Arab and International conferences on a regular basis. Hundreds of exhibitions and conferences known internationally are also held there, such as:

-Medical Conferences: (ophthalmology, dental, and medical equipment)

-Jaytex Exhibition

-International Book fair

-International motor show

Riyadh includes a host of prominent shopping malls where the best international brands are available. Al Olia Street and Al Tahila Street are considered among the most important locations where high class restaurants and boutiques are found.

Numerous luxurious compounds are found along King Fahd Street such as Kingdom Commercial Center and Al Faisalya Commercial Center which include a group of international class restaurants.

Popular markets are also found in Al Zil market where visitors can see the history. Visitors can shop as much as they like, for there are a lot of commercial activities that sell and manufacture traditional products such as swords, antiques and carpets.

Al-Masmak Palace

Al-Masmak was the starting point for King Abdul Aziz to recover the capital of his grandfathers.

The palace was renovated and transformed into a public museum. The word "Masmak" means thick, high inaccessible building, and this is applicable to Al-Masmak, which is a strong square fortress with high towers of thick walls.

Al Masmak was used for a long time as arsenal before transformed to museum.

The Gate is on the western side of the palace and made of palm date and tamarisk wood. At the middle of the gate there is small door, which passes only two persons at a time.

The door till now bears the scratch of the broken spear of King Abdul Aziz when attacking the palace.

The Mosque is to the left side when entering the palace. The Mosque is a multi pillar big room with wall racks for Quran, Miharab and ventilation openings in ceiling and walls.

The court is opposite to face when entering the palace. It is a rectangular hall with a kitchen for coffee making.

The Well is in the northeastern side of the palace. Water was withdrawn with special mechanism installed at the well opening.

Towers at each corner of the palace there is one 18 m high cylindrical tower with stair and two wooden ladder for climbing. Wall of towers is 1.25 meter thick and in each lower there are special places for shooting. Also there is a square tower at the center of the palace called “Al Morabaa” with upper terrace overlooking the main courtyard.

The courtyard is surrounded by rooms, which connected with each other from inside and have stairs leading to the first floor and roof.

The first floor comprises of rooms overlooking the main palace courtyard, and some of these rooms were used for residential purpose.

Now the whole palace is a museum and ready to receive all those who are interested in history.

The museum consists of one hall, which contains pictures, maps, maquette and other old tools. Also shown in this hall is a map of Riyadh wall with its gates, a map of King Abdulaziz military campaigns and some of the old weapons.

National Museum of Saudi Arabia

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is another top attraction. It is set in the sweeping grounds of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Area.

It provides an extraordinary introduction to all aspects of the Kingdom's natural, religious, historical and social heritage. The museums' vast displays draw various national resources, the most impressive of which is the Riyadh Museum for History and Archaeology.

It occupies 28,000 square meters of floor space and consists of eight main display halls which provide an epochal sweep of Arabian history.

The museum uses state-of-the-art interactive technology, including small-screen cinemas and audio commentaries in Arabic and English, all of which makes it suitable for both children and adults alike.