Hillat al-Dakhna (), alternatively transliterated as Dekhna or Dukhnah, was a quarter and a douar within the former
city walls
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
in southern
Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, located west of
al-Gadimah and south of
al-Duhairah in southern part of the walled town. The quarter contained the 18th century
Dakhna Grand Mosque, due to which it was nicknamed as Hayy al-ʿUlamāʾ () and was located in close proximity to the
Dakhna Gate. It was a prominent settlement and a major commercial center until the early 1960s and was incorporated into the metropolis of
Riyadh between the 1950s and 1970s.
It was named after Dakhna well which was itself attributed to a tribe from
Asir
The ʿAsir Region ( ar, عَسِيرٌ, ʿAsīr, lit=difficult) is a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country that is named after the ʿAsīr tribe. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,211,875 (2017). It is ...
named Bani Sharif. In 1773, following the
House of Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...
-led takeover of the walled town,
Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab built a
mosque in the area, which later became a center of learning for
Hanbali Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
scholars and was dubbed as Hayy al-Ulama.
The quarter hosted the residences of
Sheikh Mohammad bin Ibrahim Al Asheikh,
Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdulateef Al Asheikh,
Abdulaziz ibn Saud, Saleh bin Abdulaziz Al Asheikh,
Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz,
Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz as well as palaces of mother of
Prince Fahd bin Saud bin Abdulaziz,
Prince Saad bin Abdulaziz,
Prince Badr bin Abdulaziz and Prince Faisal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz.
Legacy
In 2021, the Dukhnaah Restaurant was opened in
Boulevard City in
Riyadh that offers culinary traditions from
Najd
Najd ( ar, نَجْدٌ, ), or the Nejd, forms the geographic center of Saudi Arabia, accounting for about a third of the country's modern population and, since the Emirate of Diriyah, acting as the base for all unification campaigns by the H ...
and was named after the erstwhile quarter of the walled town.
References
{{Reflist
Neighbourhoods in Riyadh