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TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE
Architectural heritage repre- sents tangible evidence of past civilisations by refl ecting the reli- gious, cultural and social values of previous generations. It is the job of the National Center for Urban Heritage to preserve and develop different urban elements, including heritage cities, quarters, villages, buildings and landmarks. Historically, builders in the
central areas of the kingdom preferred using a material called adobe for its availability, pliability and insulation. Adobe is a very basic blend of earth and water, often mixed with straw for strength and then shaped and dried. Today visitors can still see many homes built with adobe, even in the modern cosmopolitan cities such as Riyadh, although many are in need of repair. In the western parts of the
kingdom, stone and red brick were common, while builders in Jeddah used coral from the Red Sea. Contemporary architects now look to these age-old building designs for inspiration, combining traditional methods and mate- rials with modern-day resources. King Saud University and the
King Khalid International Airport are two striking examples of just how well traditional Islamic
4 Rijal Al Ma’a, Asir Province 5 Ruins of Dir’iyah 6 Masmak Fort 7 Murabba Palace
the call to prayer to be clearly heard. Every mosque has at least one minaret, although two are more common and larger mosques have more, with the Holy Mosque in Makkah boasting 12. Some are simple, while others are elaborately decorated with stones and tiles.
A FOCUS ON RESTORATION
Saudi Arabian governors
recognise the importance of the country’s history and it is not just relics from the past that are treasured and preserved. Small communities found
design and modern structure can be combined. Further striking examples of Arabic architecture can be found in the Masmak Fort, which was built around 1865 and renovated in the 1980s in Riyadh. The square-shaped, forti-
fi ed castle has watch towers on all corners and very thick walls. Inside the mud fortress there is a reconstructed traditional diwan (sitting room) with an open court- yard and a fully functioning well. The fortress is now a museum devoted to King Abdulaziz – known in 1902 as Ibn Saud before being proclaimed King of the new Saudi Arabia in 1932. Undeniably, Riyadh’s most
interesting attraction is the ruins of Dir’iyah, which lie 30 kilometres north of the city centre and to the northwest of Al-Riyadh on the bank of Wadi Hanifa. This was the king- dom’s fi rst capital and it is now the country’s most popular archaeological site. The recon- structed ruins include palaces, mosques and the city wall. One of the most synonymous
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Arabic architectural structures is the minaret, which is also one of the most visible manmade structures in Saudi Arabia. The reason minarets rise above all surrounding structures is to allow
different ways to live and survive in one of the harshest climates on earth and evidence of those lifestyles had threatened to disappear during the transfor- mation of the country in the wake of the discovery of oil.
The government is determined
to preserve the past and through SCTA it supports numerous restoration projects, including the excavation, cataloguing and pres- ervation of historic sites, some of which date back millions of years. Further archaeological work
is carried out by the Department of Archaeology at King Saud University, Riyadh. Major restora- tion projects include the ancestral home of the Al-Saud family in Dir’iyah, the ancient sites of Fau, Mada’in Saleh, Al ‘Ula, Tayma, Duma and along Darb Zubaydah, the pilgrimage road to Makkah. In addition, whole villages
have been restored, including the old Qasr Al Hokm area in Riyadh, as well as the ancient quarters of Jeddah and Hail. Programmes to rehabilitate
historic town centres, tradi- tional villages and markets are constantly being updated all over Saudi Arabia. The country has also made progress in establishing archives on the history of the kingdom, collecting written mate- rial and photographs, which are stored in the country’s libraries.
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