Ushaiqer (Arabic: أشيقر) is a small village near

Shagra Shaqra ( ar, شقراء) is a town in central Saudi Arabia, The city is located about 190 kilometers north-west of the capital Riyadh. It is a small city which is now growing due to the newly opened Shaqra University. The city is peaceful and we ...

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 ...

. It is north-west of

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, Literal translation, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi Arabic, Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyad ...

. Ushaiqer is one of the oldest towns in the Saudi region of

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 ...

and it was a major stopping point for pilgrims coming from

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the no ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

to perform Hajj or

Umrah The ʿUmrah ( ar, عُمْرَة, lit=to visit a populated place) is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca (the holiest city for Muslims, located in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia) that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to ...

. It was originally known as A'ekel but the name was eventually changed to Ushaiqer. It was changed because the town is bordered by a small mountain north of the village. The mountain is red in color, yet locals said it was blonde simply because red and blonde were used interchangeably in the old days. Ushaiqer means the "Small Blonde", which is a description of that particular mountain. Historical Ushaiqer belongs to the Tamim tribe although other tribes lived there as well. It is also the home land to many families in the Arabian Peninsula. The known families are Al-Hussaini (one of leaders on Ushaiqer in old times), Al-Elsheikh (The family of

Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab ; "The Book of Monotheism") , influences = , influenced = , children = , module = , title = Imam, Shaykh , movement = Muwahhidun (Wahhabi) , native_name = محمد ب� ...

), Al-Thani (rulers of the state of

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

) and & Al-Bassam etc. The historical importance of the village is that its old mud buildings are still untouched. Therefore, it is considered one of the most attractive historical areas in the region. Lately, the people of Ushaiqer had restored the historical village to preserve its heritage and built a museum which displays various relics and pieces from the village.

References

Populated places in Riyadh Province {{Saudi-geo-stub

See also

References