Al-Turaif District

At-Turaif is a historic district located in Al-Dir'iyah north-west of Riyadh which is regarded as one of the important political and historical sites in Saudi Arabia represented the capital of Saudi dynasty, it was the original home of the Saudi royal family and the country's first capital, from 1744 to 1818.[1][2]

At-Turaif District
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Saad ibn Saud Palace
LocationSaudi Arabia, ad-Dir'iyah
CriteriaCultural: iv, v, vi
Reference1329
Inscription2010 (34th session)
Coordinates24°44′00″N 46°34′32″E
Location of Al-Turaif District in Saudi Arabia

History

At-Turaif District was founded in the 15th century bearing an architectural style of Najdi; this historical site was inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List on July 31, 2010.[1][3]

The various palaces in this area with an oasis and the Najdi architectural and decorative style was one of the UNESCO criteria to list the district as a World Heritage site.[2] Moreover, The At-Turaif District was the first historical center with a unifying power in the Arabian Peninsula. As in the mid-18th century, Al-Dir'iyah became the capital of an independent Arab State representing an important phase in the human settlement of the central Arabian peninsula.[2]

Sacked by the Ottomans in 1818, abandoned in favour of Riyadh, the area remained deserted until 2000, when the Ad-Diriyah Development Authority was commissioned to carry out an impressive restoration project aimed at transforming this settlement, recognized as a World Heritage Site, but unknown to most, into an international tourist destination.[4]

Historic palaces and monuments At-Turaif

there are some Historic palaces and monuments in At-Turaif district include:[5]

  • Salwa Palace
  • Saad bin Saud Palace
  • The Guest House and At-Turaif Bath House
  • Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque

At-Turaif restoration program

In Dec 2018, Saudi Arabia launched a restoration program for At-Turaif historic district aimed at documenting the archaeological sites of the district and transforming it into an open museum.[6]

The project comes as part of Saudi's tourism plan that aims at increasing the Saudi local tourism and apart if the Saudi Vision 2030.[7]

Atturaif Living Museum (UNESCO World Heritage Site) received the ‘National Winner’ status in the Social, Cultural and Heritage Project of the Year category at the 2020 MEED Project Awards.[8]

References
  1. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  2. "At-Turaif: How Saudi Arabia is bolstering future tourism by reviving past treasures". Arab News. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  3. "Turaif District". www.sauditourism.sa. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  4. Goppion. "Atturaif Living Museum - Projects". Goppion. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  5. "Turaif Quarter - Unesco World Heritage Site | For World Heritage Travellers". www.worldheritagesite.org. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  6. "King Salman to launch At-Turaif district restoration programme". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  7. "King Salman to launch At-Turaif district restoration programme". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  8. "Arab News". 25 March 2020.
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