RIYADH: Dotted with archaeological and historical sites that date back thousands of years, Luqa is one of the oldest villages in the north of the Kingdom.
Located 100 km west of Rafha governorate in the Northern Borders region, it was once an important commercial center.
With its rich water resources — it is home to about 300 wells of up to 30 meters deep — it was also a gathering point for the people of the desert.
Merchants from Najd, Iraq, the Levant and central areas of the Kingdom would meet to trade all manner of goods, from flour and rice, to sugar and dates.
One of the most famous monuments at Luqa is King Abdulaziz Palace, which was founded in about 1936 but has since been reduced to a collection of ruins and mud houses.
Luqa is also well known by hikers, who visit in the spring to take advantage of its waters.
