Province
|
Diriyah District
This historic town and its prominent oasis are situated 20km northwest of Riyadh on the bank of Wadi Hanifa. Suburbs now join the old city with the new, although the old city of Diriyah enjoys independent administration within the Riyadh Emirate |
 |
The oldest section of the town, Ghasibah, dates back to the middle of ninth century of Hijri (6th G). Diriyah was the seat of the Saud family from 1158H (1745) and the capital of the first Saudi state. It is also an ideological and spiritual center associated with Sheikh Muhammed bin Abdal Wahhab.
Diriyah is fortified by a strong wall which consists of several watch towers built during the time of Al-Imam Abdulaziz Bin Mohammad Bin Saud to protect the city from foreign aggression. The length of the wall is about 14km, and the main wall was completely built with stones mixed with rubble to support the large rocks and was plastered with mud.
In 1233H (1818) the city was left in ruins after the bombardment and sacking at the hands of Ibrahim Pasha under the Ottoman Empire. In 1240H (1824) when Imam Turki bin Abdullah was able to wrest the city back into Saudi hands, the Second Saudi State moved to Riyadh. Diriyah reverted to being a modest farming village.
Old Diriyah lies on the banks of Wadi Hanifah – which divides the city in two. The traditional settlement pattern of the first Saudi capital is still visible. Diriyah contains a number of al-Saud palaces, including the Royal Palace (Salwa Palace), public buildings (including Dreesha Fortress) and settlement areas that relate to the First Saudi State. The area known as Ghasibah was the first capital up until 1100H (1683) when it moved to Al-Turaif to the south. Most of the buildings in this area date to the period between 1156H and 1233H (1744 - 1818).
Al-Turaif became the most famous and important residential district of the family of al-Saud during the First Saudi Dynasty.
Most structures were built of mud bricks, but there is an uncommonly high use of stone in construction as well - not only for foundations, but also to build walls and to make up column drums. A distinguishing feature of some of the palaces, particularly on the eastern part of the site, are mid-wall wind catchers. These decorative elements are an important and defining characteristic of the settlement.
The area to the west of the palaces contains smaller houses which suffered the most from Ibrahim Pasha’s bombardment. The city walls, mostly reduced to rubble during the bombardment, however, have been rebuilt.
The archaeological value of Diriyah lies in the fact that it has a known chronology between its rise in about 1156H (1744), and its fall and abandonment in 1233H (1818). This is a far more precise chronological framework than is usually available in the study of traditional architecture in Arabia.
Described as ‘the cradle of the Kingdom and the Islamic reformed mission', Diriyah cannot be regarded as a typical Najdi town with its juxtaposition of modest houses with palaces.
A large section of the buildings have been abandoned for a long time since they were never recovered after the siege of 1233H (1818). Nevertheless, the settlement continued to be used by the local farming community up until the early 1400'sH (1980's). Since then the Al Turaif area of Diriyah has been emptied and protected by the Deputy Ministry of Antiquities as a site of national importance.
There are 180 buildings in the Al-Turaif area, including the palaces, several of which have been restored. The reconstructed ruins include palaces, mosques and the city wall. Amurayeh, within Diriyah, has had outer walls restored and restoration work on individual buildings within the site is on-going, although there are no significant new uses that have been identified for the old buildings. The majority of buildings within the site are domestic, with small rooms. The inherent fragility of the traditional construction of mud and stone requires regular maintenance to prevent the buildings from decaying. |
|
|
