The Heritage Site of At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah
The site of at-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah illustrates a significant phase in the human settlement of the central Arabian plateau, when in the mid-18th century Ad-Dir'iyah became the capital of an independent Arab State and an important religious centre. At-Turaif District in Ad-Dir'iyah is an outstanding example of traditional human settlement in a desert environment. This property was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty, in the heart of the Arabian Penisula, north-west of Riyadh. Founded in the 15th century, it bears witness to the Najdi architectural style, which is specific to the centre of the Arabian Peninsula. In the 18th and early 19th century, its political and religious role increased, and the citadel at at-Turaif became the centre of the temporal power of the House of Saud and the spread of the Wahhabi reform inside the Muslim religion. The property includes the remains of many palaces and an urban ensemble built on the edge of the ad-Dir'iyah oasis. ...