Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic area historically ranging from western Africa and Europe to eastern Asia. Certain commonalities are shared by Islamic architectural styles across all these regions, but over time different regions developed their own styles according to local materials and techniques, local dynasties and patrons, different regional centers of artistic production, and sometimes different religious affiliations.
Diriyah, formerly romanized as Dereyeh and Dariyya, is a town and governorate in Saudi Arabia located on the north-western outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and served as the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah under the first Saudi dynasty from 1727 to 1818. Today, the town is the seat of the Diriyah Governorate, which also includes the villages of Uyayna, Jubayla, and Al-Ammariyyah, among others, and is part of Ar Riyad Province.
The Quba Mosque is a mosque located in Medina, in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia, built in the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the 7th century C.E. It is thought to be the first mosque in the world, built on the first day of Muhammad's emigration to Medina. Its first stone is said to have been laid by the prophet, and the structure completed by his companions.
Al Ahsa also known as Hajar is the largest governorate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, named after the Al-Ahsa Oasis. In Classical Arabic, 'Ahsa' means the sound of water underground. It has one of the largest oases in the world with world-renowned date palms and, according to one author, the oases of Al-Hasa and Al Ain are the most important in the Arabian Peninsula. The oasis is located about 60 mi (97 km) inland from the Arabian Gulf. All urban areas are located in the traditional oasis of Al-Hasa. In addition to the oasis, the county also includes the giant Empty Quarter desert, making it the largest governorate in Saudi Arabia in terms of area. The Empty Quarter has the world's largest oil fields, and connects Saudi Arabia to Qatar, the UAE, and Oman. The Governorate's population is over 1,100,000. In the past, Al-Ahsa belonged to the historical region known as Bahrain, along with Qatif and the present-day Bahrain islands.
Qatif or Al-Qatif is a governorate and urban area located in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. It extends from Ras Tanura and Jubail in the north to Dammam in the south, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to King Fahd International Airport in the west. This region has its own municipality and includes the Qatif downtown, Safwa, Saihat, Tarout Island, and many other smaller cities and towns.
Al-Hofuf is the major urban city in the Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, with a population of 729,606. It is also known for being one of the largest date producers in the world, and for its old markets and palaces.
The Masmak Fort, also called the Masmak Fortress or Masmak Palace, is a clay and mudbrick fort in the al-Dirah neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located in close proximity to the al-Hukm Palace in the Qasr al-Hukm District. Built in 1865 for prince 'Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman AlDabaan under the Emirate of Jabal Shammar, The fortress played an integral role in the Unification of Saudi Arabia, with the Battle of Riyadh, one of the most important conflicts of the Saudi unification, taking place in the fort. Since 1995, the fortress has been converted into a museum showcasing one of the most important landmarks of Saudi heritage.
Jawatha Mosque, also incorrectly spelled Al-Jawan, is located in the historic Jawatha area, about 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It was the earliest known mosque built in eastern Arabia. Most of the original structure fell into ruins. However, it was restored in 2007 by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, using a design similar to that of Masmak Fort in Riyadh.
Al-Aḥsāʾ, also known as al-Ḥasāʾ (الْحَسَاء) or Hajar (هَجَر), is an oasis and historical region in eastern Saudi Arabia. Al-Ahsa Governorate, which makes up much of the country's Eastern Province, is named after it. The oasis is located about 60 km (37 mi) inland from the coast of the Persian Gulf. Al-Ahsa Oasis comprises four main cities and 22 villages. The cities include Al-Mubarraz and Al-Hofuf, two of the largest cities in Saudi Arabia.
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi is a castle (qasr) in the middle of the Syrian Desert. It was built by the Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik in 728-29 CE in an area rich in desert fauna. It was apparently used as a military and hunting outpost. The palace is the counterpart of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, a nearby castle palace built one year earlier. It is one of the so-called desert castles.
Al-Ahsa or Al-Hasa may refer to:
Qasr Mushatta is the ruin of an Umayyad winter palace, probably commissioned by Caliph Al-Walid II during his brief reign (743-744). The ruins are located approximately 30 km south of Amman, Jordan, north of Queen Alia International Airport, and are part of a string of castles, palaces and caravanserais known collectively in Jordan and the wider Southern Levant region as the Desert Castles. Though much of the ruins can still be found in situ, the most striking feature of the palace, its facade, has been removed and is on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The complex was never completed.
The Conquest of al-Hasa was achieved by the Saudi forces of ibn Saud with support from the Ikhwan in April 1913. The Oasis of al-Hasa was conquered from an Ottoman garrison, which had controlled the area since 1871.
Al-Shu'ba mountain located in east of Al-Shu'ba village at Al-Ahsa and to the north of Al-Eskan next to the road leading from eastern villages to the northern villages and to Al-Dammam. Also it extends from north to south with a length of 20 km on the eastern edge of the northern oasis and its width is 4 km.
Sahood Fort is situated outside the western walls of Al Mubarraz, Saudi Arabia. The fort is used as barracks for the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces.
Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Laboun is a Saudi geologist, traveler, and historian specializing in petroleum geology. His interest in geology and oil history in Saudi Arabia extended to other fields including history and popular literature. He has published many books, the most prominent of which is the book and the Book
Al-Hamidiyah Palace or al-Hamidiyah Building was an Ottoman-era double storey government building in the Ajyad district of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The building played a pivotal role in the country's modern history as it was the location from where Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz announced the official establishment of Saudi Arabia on King Abdulaziz's behalf. Built by the-then Ottoman governor of Hejaz Osman Nuri Pasha in 1885, it was named after Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The structure was completely razed down in 1957 during the reign of King Saud in order to pave the way for the Grand Mosque's expansion.
Al-Hukm Palace, also known as the al-ʽAdl Palace, so called from the public square it overlooks from the south, is a historic palace and a popular cultural heritage landmark in the ad-Dirah neighbourhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located directly opposite to Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in the Qasr al-Hukm District. It is the de facto site where tribal leaders and members of the Saudi royal family pledge allegiance to the country's political leadership. Built in 1747, it was known as Ibn Dawwas Palace until the 1820s, when Turki bin Abdullah, after gaining control of Najd, shifted the royal family's center of power from Diriyah to the walled town of Riyadh due to the former's severe destruction in a brutal siege during the Ottoman–Wahhabi War of 1818 as well as the town’s Ottoman sacking in 1821.
Qasr al-Hukm District or the Justice Palace District, is a term used to define the perimeters of the erstwhile fortress-city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in present-day districts of ad-Dirah and ad-Daho, encompassing several extinct douars that once fell within the enclosure of the gates of old city walls prior to its demolition in 1950. Named after the eponymous al-Hukm Palace, it is widely considered to be the antecedent to modern Riyadh since the metropolis outgrew as an offshoot of the walled town in the 1950s. Owing to its historical and architectural significance, it was rebuilt by the Saudi government between 1970s and 1990s and is situated southwest of al-Batʼha commercial area.
