At-Turaif District, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia
At-Turaif District is a walled complex of mud-brick palaces, mosques and houses on a plateau on the western bank of Wadi Hanifa in Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh. It includes Salwa Palace, the Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque, Saad bin Saud Palace, and a guest house with a bath house, all built in the Najdi style and enclosed by a wall with watchtowers.
The district was founded in the 15th century and became the capital of the first Saudi state from 1727 onwards. Ottoman forces took control in 1818, marking a major turning point in the place's history.
The palaces and homes here reflect how a prosperous Arabian community lived and organized their daily life. The buildings are arranged around central courtyards, showing how families spent time together and used the open spaces.
Visitors can join guided tours and visit information centers that explain the history and architecture. The best time to visit is during cooler months, as summer heat creates extreme conditions in the open spaces.
The UNESCO listing, granted on 29 July 2010 at the committee session in Brasília, covers 28.78 hectares with a buffer zone of 237.95 hectares, registered as site number 1329. It was Saudi Arabia's second World Heritage entry, after Hegra in 2008, and was inscribed under criteria iv, v and vi.
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