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| Riyadh City Information
Part 01
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Part 02 |
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Although Riyadh has officially been the capital of Saudi
Arabia since 1932, it played second fiddle to Jeddah until
the 1970s. Built with oil boom money, Riyadh is now a
high-tech oasis of glass, steel and concrete, home to huge
hotels, even larger hospitals and one of the biggest
airports in the world. The centre of Riyadh is called Al-Bathaa
and is the oldest part of the city. Al Bathaa is home to the
bus station, GPO and most other things a traveller needs.
Most of Riyadh's places to stay are near the bus station, as
are the coffee shops and shwarma stands. |
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The Riyadh Museum, to the west of Al-Bathaa,
has all the usual stuff covering the history and archaeology of
the kingdom from the Stone Age to early Islam. There's an
interesting display on Islamic architecture and a separate
Ethnographic Hall, with clothes, musical instruments, weapons
and jewellery. Signs are in English and Arabic.
Once the citadel in the heart of Old Riyadh, the Masmak
Fortress was built around 1865 and extensively renovated in
the 1980s. Inside the mud fortress there's a nicely
reconstructed traditional diwan (sitting room) with an open
courtyard and a working well. The fortress is now a museum
devoted to King Abdul Aziz and his unification of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. Other museums in Riyadh include the King Saud
University Museum, which has a display of finds from
archaeological digs, and Murabba Palace, with exhibits of
traditional clothing and crafts.
The Al-Thumairi Gate, in the centre of town, is an
impressive restoration of one of the 9 gates which used to lead
into the city before the wall was torn down in 1950. The flash,
new, modern Al-Thumairi Gate is just across the road. About 30km
(20mi) out of town is one of the largest camel markets in
the Middle East. It's open every day and is a fascinating place
to wander around.
Riyadh's most interesting attraction, the ruins of Dir'aiyah,
lie 30km (20mi) north of the city centre. This was the kingdom's
first capital and is now the country's most popular
archaeological site. Dir'aiyah was founded in 1446, reached the
height of its powers at the end of the 18th century, and was
razed in 1818. The reconstructed ruins include palaces, mosques
and the city wall. |
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