Tabuk Castle ( ar, قلعة تبوك, ''qalʿat tabūk'') is an ancient castle in
Tabuk, the capital city of the
Tabuk Region in northwestern
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...
which dates back to 1559.
The castle has been rehabilitated and transformed into a museum open to all visitors.
History
Although it is believed that castle was built about 3500 BC and mentioned in the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
as of ''Aṣḥāb al-Aykah'' ( ar, أَصْـحَـاب الْأَيْـكَـة "Companions of the Wood"),
the known origin dates back to 1559.
It was constructed to protect the water station as well as for security and surveillance purposes and was one of the stations on the Levant-Medina Haj road to welcome the pilgrims.
Structure
The castle consists of two stories connected by a stairway and encompassing a mosque and various rooms where the second floor involves an open mosque.
{{Portal, Saudi Arabia
References
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Castles in Saudi Arabia
Tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia