British explorer Mark Evans arrives at Shoubra Palace in Taif after 700km desert trek

TAIF, Saudi Arabia: After a 700-kilometer trip on foot across the desert that lasted 13 days, British explorer Mark Evans and his team arrived at the historic Shoubra Palace in Taif on Friday.
The Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday that Evans and his team toured the palace’s courtyard and stables, next to which there are places for palace services such as rooms for cooking, perfumery, sewing, goldsmiths, catering and the centralized call control.
The team were reportedly impressed by the palace’s original architecture, the geometric shapes and decorations on its walls, the lighting of the corridors, and its authentic Arabian wooden doors and windows.
Shoubra Palace was built over two months in 1905. Its design was inspired by a palace in the Shoubra district of Cairo.
Its architecture is a blend of Islamic and Roman styles, with the influence of the Hejaz region particularly apparent in the palace’s arches, columns, doors, windows, and ceilings.
The palace has around 150 rooms and two entrances: the main one on its western side, and the other on the eastern side. Its main hall houses a double alabaster staircase that ascends to the two suites on the upper floor.
The historic venue was once the headquarters for the Saudi government when it moved to Taif in the summer during the reign of King Abdulaziz. During King Faisal’s reign, the palace became the seat of the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, before it was converted into a museum in 1987.
Evans has visited several of Saudi Arabia’s iconic historical locations during his “Heart of Arabia” trek, which follows the footsteps of the late British explorer Jack Philby (also known as Abdullah after his conversion to Islam).
The team has crossed the Qiddiya mountains through Darb Al-Manjur toward Dhurma, spending a day at Nafud Dalqan, an area distinguished by sand dunes that form golden curves, interspersed with types of wild plants on the slopes.