Ar Riyad (Riyadh)

Riyadh has officially been Saudi Arabia's capital since the unification of the Kingdom on 23 September 1932, but it was not until the 1970's, when oil money started pouring in that it became the most important and largest city in the country. Nowadays it is a modern metropolis with glass and steel skyscrapers, huge hotels and one of the world's largest airports. The oldest part of Riyadh is the district of Al-Bathaa, the city center.

The mud-built Masmak Fortress once served as the citadel in the heart of Old Riyadh. It was constructed around 1865 and restored in the 1980's. Nowadays the fortress houses a museum devoted to Abdul Aziz and the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Inside the fortress is also a traditional diwan (sitting room) with a well in the open courtyard.

The Riyadh Museum has exhibitions on the history and archaeology of Saudi Arabia, covering the period from the Stone Age to early Islam. It has sections that focus on Islamic architecture, ethnography, clothes, musical instruments, weapons and jewelry. The museum is west of Al-Bathaa and most displays have both Arabic and English signs and explanations.

There are several other museums in Riyadh, including the King Saud University Museum, where you can see artifacts uncovered from archaeological sites and the Murabba Palace, with its exhibitions on clothing and crafts.

Riyadhs city walls were demolished in 1950. The Al-Thumairi Gate in the center of town, is a beautiful restoration of one of the 9 gates that used to lead into the city. Across the road is a modern version of the Al-Thumairi Gate.

The most interesting sights in Riyadh are the Dir'aiyah ruins, 30 km (20 miles) north of the city center. Dir'aiyah was founded in 1446 and it was the kingdom's first capital. At the end of the 18th century it reached its peak, but in 1818 it was destroyed. Nowadays it is the country's most important archaeological site and includes numerous reconstructed buildings, such as palaces, mosques and the city wall.

Also 30 km (20 miles) from Riyadh is one of the largest camel markets in the Middle East.

There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Riyadh, many of them concentrated on the bus station in the central Al-Bathaa district. There you will also find countless coffee shops and food-stands where shwarma is sold.