The Riyadh city fortifications () were series of earth-structured defensive walls with watchtowers and gates that encircled the walled town of Riyadh, in modern-day Riyadh, Saudi Arabia intermittently from 1740s until they were finally demolished in 1950. Subsequently, Riyadh outgrew as a metropolis and the area covering the perimeters of the walled town was renamed as the Qasr al-Hukm District in 1973. The town within the walls served as the administrative center of the Saudi government until 1944, when King Abdulaziz ibn Saud shifted his workplace and residence to the

Murabba Palace The Murabba Palace (Arabic: Qasr al Murabba; the Square Palace) is one of the historic buildings in Al Murabba, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The palace is the first building that was erected outside the walls of the old city. It was named after its squa ...

Overview

The early origins of the wall dated back to 18th century during the reign of Riyadh's ruler Daham bin Dawas al-Shaalan and was razed and rebuilt on numerous occasions over the course of time. The wall was renovated for the last time by

Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...

soon after the Battle of Riyadh in 1902 before it was finally demolished in 1950 in order to pave the way for the city's expansion. The wall had 9 gates, which were known as ''darawiz'' (), the plural Arabized form of the Persian word ''darwazah'' (), meaning gateway.

History

Workers breaking old city walls of Riyadh

Historical accounts largely credit Riyadh's 18th century ruler Daham bin Dawas al-Shalaan for being the first one to erect a wall around Riyadh in around 1740s. After expelling the Ottoman-backed

Egyptian forces The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...

from

Najd Najd ( ar, نَجْدٌ, ), or the Nejd, forms the geographic center of Saudi Arabia, accounting for about a third of the country's modern population and, since the Emirate of Diriyah, acting as the base for all unification campaigns by the H ...

and reinstating the Second Saudi State in 1824, Imam Turki al-Saud ordered the reconstruction of Daham's walls. However, after the victory of the Rashidi dynasty in the

Battle of Mulayda The Battle of Mulayda was the last major battle during the period of the Second Saudi State which occurred on 21 January 1891. Following problems over Zakat and the arrest of the Rashidi leader, Ibn Sabhan, the Rashidis planned to end the Saudi St ...

against the

House of Saud The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...

in 1891, the new ruler of Najd Ibn Rashid went on to desecrate and destroy much of al-Saud's structures, including the Riyadh wall. After

deposed the

Rashidis The Rasheed dynasty, also called Al Rasheed or the House of Rasheed ( ar, آل رشيد ; ), was a historic Arabian House or dynasty that existed in the Arabian Peninsula between 1836 and 1921. Its members were rulers of the Emirate of Ha'il an ...

in 1902 after the Battle of Riyadh, he ordered the rehabilitation of the wall in order to safeguard the city from trespassers and invaders and was demolished nearly four decades later in 1950 when Riyadh underwent modernization and expansion. In 1932, Ibn Saud established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and declared Riyadh to be the capital of the country. The walled town remained as the administrative center until 1944, when Ibn Saud shifted to

and made it his new official workplace.

Gates

The Riyadh city wall had around 10 gates and 20 watchtowers. * Al-Thumairi Gate * Al-Guraiy Gate * Al-Musada Gate * Al-Badiah Gate (Al-Madhbah Gate) * Al-Suwailem Gate * Al-Duhaira Gate (Al-Shamsiyyah Gate) * Dakhna Gate (Darwaza al-Kabirah) * Al-Arair Gate * Al-Muraighib Gate (Shumaisi Gate)

Quarters and landmarks that fell within the walls

The following were within the walls: * Al-Duhairah quarter * Al-Daho quarter * Al-Ajnab quarter * Al-Gadimah quarter * Qasr al-Hukm * Masmak citadel * The Grand Mosque * Dakhna Grand Mosque * al-Mugailiyah quarter * Al-Muraighib quarter * Al-Ghanaiy quarter * Sharqiya quarter * Dakhna quarter

References

{{coord missing, Saudi Arabia City wall City wall Fortifications in Saudi Arabia City walls Demolished buildings and structures in Saudi Arabia Buildings and structures demolished in 1950 18th-century fortifications