Riyadh is not only the capital city of the Kingdom but it is also a very historical and important city and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama.
Riyadh is located in the middle of the desert of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau like a jewel or pearl in the middle of the kings crown. Riyadh is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a region with a population of close to 7 million people.
Riyadh climate is extreme as in summer temperatures rise up to 50 degrees Celsius and winter its very cold especially at night when it can comes down to 4 degree or less. The average high temperature in July is 43.5°C. It is also known to have many dust storms. The dust is often so thick that visibility is less than 10 meters.
The clocks struck 9 a.m. the plane started backing up after being pressurized and I was on my way to Riyadh.
After 1 hour and a half the plane landed at Riyadh King Khalid International Airport. I had been in Riyadh several years ago and didn't expect much change. Anyhow the airport fascinated me with its beauty, as it was totally different from Jeddah airport. Big and well maintained.
My car was waiting for me outside the airport. My first stop was 19th century Al-Masmak Fortress, which lies in the heart of the city with one of the old market Dirah. This old castle is a major attraction for the visitors. The Al-Dira area also contains commercial markets and traditional buildings, such as the Al-Mu'eiqilia market and the city's Grand Mosque. In the west you will find the Riyadh museum of history and archeology and the first construction of 1938 Murabba' palace , also located nearby is the palace of justice where the city governor meets the citizens to listen their problems.
Through different underpasses and flyovers my car was moving toward old Riyadh. This area contains the Riyadh city hall, with its striking combination of contemporary and traditional architectural styles.
After almost half an hour I reached in the heart of Riyadh downtown. The old and main market "Dirah" at the front of the Al-Masmak Fort .The fort of King Abdul Aziz.
The fort was standing on a 2-3 acre of land with its full grandeur, four towers at his four corners. I went into the fort, which is made of clay and wooden supporting beams. The color matched the desert sand. Different passages led to different rooms full of ancient exhibits, things and pictures of those golden times. The picture of old Riyadh in a big frame took me to the days gone by, for a moment I forgot where I was.
In an old room of the fort you still can find the living style of old era, a number of paintings and pictures of that era will take you on the tour of that age. There is an old well in the courtyard of the fort which shows the civilization of that era.
Out of the fort old "Dirah" market gives you a chance to buy souvenir to remember your visit at the fort.
In the early days like 1935 there was a wall surrounding the city, but slowly the expansion outside the city wall was started. In 1937 the first major construction was Murabba' palace which was house hold of almost 800 people. This palace was like a small city inside the city of Riyadh. The palace was constructed in the style of Najdi architecture. However, the palace is now part of a bigger complex called "The King Abdulaziz Historical Centre.
There are other traditional villages and towns in the area around traditional Riyadh beside Dirah, are Manfuha and Wadi Laban to name a few.
Faisaliyh Tower was my next stop. The modern landmark of Riyadh brought me back from olden times to new. The Ornate design tower is the first skyscraper constructed in Saudi Arabia, and is the second tallest building in Riyadh after the Kingdom Center.
The Tower is 32 stories high and its famous Globe restaurant is located at the top, where you can't enter unless you already reserved a table. The restaurant is a moving one so you can enjoy the view of whole city .
Below the restaurant there is an outside viewing deck. I paid SR25 to go to the deck from where the whole city can be seen as far as your eyes can take you.
Beside the Faisaliyh Tower is located the Faisaliyh mall which is a piece of any modern mall in the world. Enter the mall and you will find whatever you think; you just name it and get it.
Lunch time was passing by, so I looked for a restaurant . In a minute I found almost all the restaurant in front of me. After lunch and shopping I entered the Faisaliyh shopping centre.
The next place to go was Kingdom Tower another sculpture of modern art. The 99 floor Kingdom Tower is built on 94,230sq meters of land. I entered the Tower through a hotel and a shopping mall combined to provide all the facility to the visitors. The mall had all the big high street shops. It is located on Al-Urubah Road between King Fahd Road and Olaya Street in the growing business district of Al-Olaya.
The Kingdom Tower was different because of one of its unique place which, I think is not available anywhere in the Kingdom and that was a separate world for women, to have their own freedom. It has a three-level shopping center, which also won a major design award, fills the east wing.
The last floor of the Kingdom Tower is reserved only for women, from shopkeeper to waitresses and from buyer to security guard all were women.
The day was coming to an end I was tired by moving around all day. Though there was one thing left to visit the famous King Fahad stadium of Riyadh. Designed in a shape of a large round Arabian tent, this lavish stadium contains a football field, which can accommodate 80,000 fans.
Other notable features of the city are the Riyadh Water Tower, The National Museum, The Zoo, The King Fahd National Library, The Equestrian Club, the King Faisal Foundation and the 93-kilometer ring road encircling the city.
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