Riyadh the City & the Life

iyadhhasahistorywhichstretches farback intoantiquity: ancient

monuments which date tomore than 15,000 years ago have been

discovered in the suburb of al-Thumamah. Life history, tales of Arabian

kingdoms with civilizations successively established homes on the fertile

soil of al-Yamamah; poems andpoetic descriptionof locations and battles

that embodied the pre-Islamic life of the Arabs; gardens, settlements,

trade, episodes, literature that had flourished at today’s site of Riyadh.

During successive Islamic dynasties, what we now know as Riyadh and

the surrounding areas were known as al-Yamamah Region. Al-Yamamah

became famous for its agricultural abundance and provided food for many

residents of the Arabian Peninsula. In particular, Al-Yamamah was the

source of superior quality date palms from which the best species of palm

trees were propagated throughout the world. At the same time the desert

surroundingthisoasismaintained it inrelative isolationandplayedamajor role inpreserving itsuniquecharacter.

Early towns and villages in the area included Mi’akal, al-Beneyah and Manfouhah, and over time these

merged to become the nucleus of the new town of Riyadh, which became well known during the First Saudi

State in the 17

century.

Riyadh’sboundariesandspecialarchitecturalcharacterbecamemoredefinedduringtheSecondSaudiState,

for which Riyadh served as capital. During the reigns of Imams Turki Ibn Abdulla and his son Faysal Ibn Turki,

the chief landmarks of the city were renovated – the city wall, the Government Palace (Qasr al-Hukm), the

GrandMosque and themain residential districts. By nowRiyadhwas established as one of themain capitals of

theArabianPeninsula, and a principal centre of Arabian trade, agricultural

and culture.

The golden age of the city of Riyadh began on the 5

day of Shawal

1319H(15

January1902)withtherestorationofthecitybyKingAbdulaziz

and establishment of the Modern Saudi State. The city’s landmarks

were refurbished, and Riyadh became the seat of the Government of

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and capital of the country. Since then, the

size of the city has doubled more than a hundred times to accommodate

a burgeoning population. Today, Riyadh is one of the world’s major

decision-making capitals, and a focal point for economy and culture, but it

stillmaintains its links to a time-honouredpast.

• Source: Saudi Aramco