Qasr al-Hukm District () or the Justice Palace District (), is a term used to define the area within the perimeters of the erstwhile

walled town of Riyadh The walled town of Riyadh was the original core of Riyadh, the modern-day capital of Saudi Arabia, located on the western edge of Wadi al-Batʼha in present-day districts of Al Dirah (Riyadh), ad-Dirah and Al Doho, ad-Doho. It emerged from the ci ...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

, encompassing present-day districts of ad-Dirah and ad-Doho, that lie on several extinct douars () that once fell within the enclosure of the gates of old city walls prior to its demolition in the 1950s. Named after the eponymous al-Hukm Palace, it is widely considered to be the antecedent to modern

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

since the metropolis outgrew as an offshoot of the

walled town The following cities have, or historically had, defensive walls. Africa Algeria * Algiers * Ghardaïa * Timimoun Egypt See List of Egypt castles, forts, fortifications and city walls. * Al-Fustat * Cairo * Damietta Ethiopia * Harar Libya *Apo ...

in the 1950s. Owing to its historical and architectural significance, it was rebuilt by the Saudi government from 1973 to 1992 and is situated southwest of al-Batʼha commercial area. It hosts some of the most important cultural heritage landmarks in the city, such as

Masmak Fort Al Masmak Palace (), also called the Masmak Fortress or Masmak Fort, is a historic clay and mudbrick fort in the ad-Dirah neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located in close proximity to the al-Hukm Palace in the Qasr al-Hukm District. Com ...

ress,

Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque (), also known as the Grand Mosque of Riyadh, is a Sunni Islam Friday mosque in the ad-Dirah neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located adjacent to al-Hukm Palace compound, in Deera Square. It was ...

, Deera Square and the eponymous al-Hukm Palace besides several traditional marketplaces.

History and background

Workers_breaking_old_city_walls_of_Riyadh

Following the demolition of Riyadh's

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

, death of King Abdulaziz ibn Saud and along with the rapid expansion and modernization of the city between 1950s and 1960s, the al-Hukm Palace and its surrounding areas had slowly begun to decline in importance. Many neighborhoods such as Duhairah was abandoned by its residents in pursuit of better opportunities in north of the capital. During the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Saudi authorities began focusing on the resuscitation and rejuvenation of the area and the preservation of its historical and architectural significance. In March 1973, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz issued directives to Sheikh Abdulaziz Thunayyan, then mayor of

to conduct an extensive study of the area surrounding the al-Hukm Palace and implementing the project of its renovation the following year. In 1976, the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh commissioned the Qasr Al Hukm District Development Project and agreed on developmental programs that were prepared to transform the Qasr al-Hukm District into a cultural center. The designs were completed by 1979 and the construction lasted between 1983 and 1992 in broadly two phases, costing around US$500 million. The project was overseen by

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; born 31 December 1935) has been King of Saudi Arabia since 2015, and was Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. He is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia. He assumed the thron ...

, the-then governor of Riyadh. The project was completed in 1982, and was divided into three phases,

Phase 1 (1983–1988)

The first phase lasted between 1983 and 1988, in which the main offices of the Riyadh's governor,

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

and the regular police were constructed in the palace.

Phase 2 (1988–1992)

The second phase lasted between 1988 and 1992, where the

Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque (), also known as the Grand Mosque of Riyadh, is a Sunni Islam Friday mosque in the ad-Dirah neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located adjacent to al-Hukm Palace compound, in Deera Square. It wa ...

, Qasr Al-Hukm, Al-Adl Plaza, Assafah Plaza, Imam Muhammad bin Saud Plaza, Al-Musmak Plaza, Al-Thumairi Gate, and Dekhna Gate, Ad-Deerah Tower were restored and built.

Phase 3 (since 1992)

The third phase focused on winning confidence of the country's private sector. Headquarters of some institutions were constructed like the High Court, Civil Defense, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al Alsheikh Mosque, Dekhna Plaza, al-Zal Souq, and modern seven commercial complexes.

Landmarks

Historical

Al Hukm Palace Al-Hukm Palace () or The Ruling Palace, originally Ibn Dawwas Palace, and also known as the al-ʽAdl Palace (), so called from the public square it overlooks from the south, is a historic palace and a popular cultural heritage landmark in the ad- ...

Al Masmak Palace Al Masmak Palace (), also called the Masmak Fortress or Masmak Fort, is a historic clay and mudbrick fort in the ad-Dirah neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located in close proximity to the al-Hukm Palace in the Qasr al-Hukm District. Com ...

* Safat Clocktower * Deera Square *

* Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Mosque * Thumairi Gate * Dakhnah Gate

Marketplaces

* Souq al-Zal * Swaigah Trade Center * Al Maigliah Market Center * Al Deira Market * Souq al-Thumairi * Al Tameer Wholesale Market * Ibn Sulaiman Commercial Center

In popular culture

The al-Hukm Palace was shown as the building of a fictitious Saudi immigration court in the 2023 Indian

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

-language

comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film '' Dunki''.

Gallery

File:Chop Chop Square.jpg, Deera Square, 2011 File:Dira Square.JPG,

, 2007 File:Qasr Al Hukm Palace, 2022.jpg,

, 2022 File:Incense souk in downtown Riyadh (12754047044).jpg, Souq al-Zal, 2014 File:Al Deerah Clocktower Riyadh.jpg, Safat Clocktower, 2023 File:Suweigah Souq Riyadh, 2023.jpg, Souq al-Suweigah, 2023 File:Bab al-Thumairi, Riyadh, 2023.jpg, Al Thumairi Gate, 2023 File:Masmak Fort (12753717253).jpg, Masmak Fortress, 2014 File:Dakhna Gate Riyadh 2024.jpg, Dakhnah Gate, 2024 File:Al Doho neighborhood Riyadh 2024.jpg, Al Doho district, 2024 File:Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Mosque, 2024.jpeg, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Mosque, 2024 File:Al Maigliah Market, 2024.jpeg, Al Maigliah Market, 2024 File:Souq Ushaiger Riyadh 2024.jpg, Souq Ushaiger, 2024 File:Kingdom Heritage shop Dirah.jpg, Life like figurines of camel at the Kingdom Heritage souvenir shop in Souq al-Thumairi.

References

{{Reflist Geography of Riyadh