The walled town of Riyadh was the original core of Riyadh, the modern-day capital of Saudi Arabia, located on the western edge of Wadi al-Batʼha in present-day districts of ad-Dirah and ad-Doho. It emerged from the city-state of Migrin around 1746 when Dahham ibn Dawwas built a wall and a Al Hukm Palace within it, and ruled as the settlement's chieftain until his overthrow by the First Saudi State in 1773. It was later the center of power of the Second Saudi State for most of 19th century following brief Ottoman presence in the Najd. Abdulaziz ibn Saud recaptured the town in 1902 and made it the base for his 30-year long unification wars that led to the establishment of Saudi Arabia in 1932. The town served as the administrative center of the Saudi government before King Abdulaziz ibn Saud moved his workplace and residence to the Murabba Palace in 1944. In 1950, he instructed the dismantling of the fortifications in order to expand the settlement into a metropolis and the walled town eventually ceased to exist. The area covering the perimeters of the erstwhile town was renamed as the Qasr al-Hukm District in 1973 with the aim of preserving its historical and architectural significance.
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👉 Walled town of Riyadh in the context of Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an offshoot of the 18th century walled town following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
It is the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula, and is situated in the center of the Nafud desert, on the eastern part of the Najd plateau. The city sits at an average of 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level, and receives around 5 million tourists each year, making it the forty-ninth most visited city in the world and the 6th in the Middle East. Riyadh had a population of 7.0 million people in 2022, making it the most-populous city in Saudi Arabia, 3rd most populous in the Middle East, and the 38th most populous in Asia.
Walled town of Riyadh in the context of Riyadh city fortifications
The Riyadh city fortifications (Arabic: سور مدينة الرياض, romanized: Sūr madīnat ar-Riyāḍ) were series of earth-structured defensive walls with watchtowers and gates that encircled the walled town of Riyadh, in modern-day Riyadh, Saudi Arabia intermittently from 1740s until they were finally demolished in the 1950s. Subsequently, Riyadh outgrew as a metropolis and the area covering the perimeters of the walled town was renamed as the Qasr al-Hukm District in 1973. The town within the walls served as the administrative center of the Saudi government until 1944, when King Abdulaziz ibn Saud shifted his workplace and residence to the Murabba Palace.
Walled town of Riyadh in the context of Battle of Riyadh
The Battle of Riyadh was a minor battle in Riyadh, then part of the Emirate of Ha'il, fought between the Rashidi dynasty and the House of Saud in January 1902 that resulted in the latter's takeover of walled town by Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud. The battle is considered a prelude to the 30-year old unification war, culminating in the establishment of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
In late 1901, following the end of the Second Saudi State, the Al Saud clan was forced to move to Kuwait after Riyadh had fallen to the Al Rashid family. Ibn Saud, the head of the clan, requested supplies and men from the Kuwaiti Emir to retake his hometown. The Kuwaiti prince, who was also involved in several wars with the Rashidis, acceded to Ibn Saud's request and gave him horses and arms.