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The Masmak Fort ( ar, translit=Qaṣr al-Maṣmak, قصر المصمك), also called the Masmak Fortress or Masmak Palace, is a
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
and
mudbrick A mudbrick or mud-brick is an air-dried brick, made of a mixture of loam, mud, sand and water mixed with a binding material such as rice husks or straw. Mudbricks are known from 9000 BCE, though since 4000 BCE, bricks have also bee ...
fort in ad-Dirah,
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...
,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. Built in 1865 for prince 'Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman AlDabaan under the
Emirate of Jabal Shammar The Emirate of Jabal Shammar ( ar, إِمَارَة جَبَل شَمَّر), also known as the Emirate of Haʾil () or the Rashidi Emirate (), was a state in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula, including Najd, existing from the mid-nin ...
, The fortress played an integral role in the
Unification of Saudi Arabia The Unification of Saudi Arabia was a military and political campaign in which the various tribes, sheikhdoms, city-states, emirates, and kingdoms of most of the Arabian Peninsula were conquered by the House of Saud, or ''Al Saud''. Unificati ...
, 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.


History

The construction of the fort was started by
Abdullah bin Faisal Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
, Emir of Najd, in 1865. It was completed in 1895 by
Emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
of Riyadh, 'Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman under the reign of
Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Rashid Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Rashid (, died 28 November 1897) was one of the Emirs of Jabal Shammar and is known for his defeat of the Saudi State in the battle of Mulayda which ceased to exist for a second time in 1891. His reign lasted from 1869 ...
, the ruler of the Emirate of Jabal Shammar and head of the House of Rasheed, who had wrested control of the city from the local House of Saud, who later went into exile. It was built with four
watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...
s and thick walls, with a foundation of stone blocks, lying in the center of Riyadh, in the old city, part of the modern Deira district. It is one of the only historic buildings that has survived in the kingdom. The building was situated in the commercial center of historic Riyadh. In January 1902, Emir 'Abdulaziz ibn Saud Al Saud, who was at the time living in exile in
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, returned to Riyadh and led an ambush against the Masmak fortress, regaining it from the House of Rasheed in the Battle of Riyadh. The event, which restored Saudi control over Riyadh, is considered one of the most important in the completion of the
Unification of Saudi Arabia The Unification of Saudi Arabia was a military and political campaign in which the various tribes, sheikhdoms, city-states, emirates, and kingdoms of most of the Arabian Peninsula were conquered by the House of Saud, or ''Al Saud''. Unificati ...
. It was used as a munitions warehouse from 1902 to 1938 by King Abdulaziz before he moved his court to then newly built
Murabba Palace The Murabba Palace (Arabic: Qasr al Murabba; the Square Palace) is one of the historic buildings in Al Murabba, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The palace is the first building that was erected outside the walls of the old city. It was named after its squa ...
. In 1979, the Municipality of Riyadh prepared a study for the restoration of the Masmak, following which a renovation of the fortress began. Their vision was realized in 1995 when the Ministry of Education and the Supreme Commission for the Development of Riyadh converted the building into a museum, making it an integral part of Saudi heritage. It was later incorporated into the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre, a series of restored buildings in Riyadh. Centennial celebrations were held in 1999. The museum includes displays several antique guns, costumes and agricultural artifacts.


Architecture

The Masmak can be divided into six distinct parts: the gate, the mosque, the ''
majlis ( ar, المجلس, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning "sitting room", used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural conne ...
,'' the well, the towers and the courtyard. Gate The main gate of the palace is located in the western wall, measuring high and wide. It is thick and is made of palmwood. There is an opening on the center of the door, called ''al-Khokha'', which is just big enough for one person to pass at a time, and is a defensive feature designed to allow people in and out without opening the door. Mosque The mosque is located to the left of the entrance. It is a large room supported by several columns with shelves in the walls for placing ''mus'hafs'' of the
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
. A ''
mihrab Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
'' can be found in the mosque, and there are holes in the walls to provide
ventilation Ventilation may refer to: * Ventilation (physiology), the movement of air between the environment and the lungs via inhalation and exhalation ** Mechanical ventilation, in medicine, using artificial methods to assist breathing *** Ventilator, a m ...
. ''Majlis'' It is located directly ahead of the entrance and is a room in the shape of a rectangle. On the wall facing the entrance and the southern wall, there are holes in the walls for ventilation and lighting, similar to those found in the mosque. Well The
well A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
is located in the northeastern corner of the fortress. Watchtowers In each of the corners of the mosque are conical towers, each approximately high. The towers are accessed through staircases located inside them. The walls of the towers are especially thick, with a thickness of . Courtyard The courtyard is surrounded by rooms with columns connected to each other internally, and it has stairs on the eastern side leading to the first floor and roofs, and there are three residential units, the first served as the residence of the ruler, the second used as a ''
bayt al-mal ''Bayt al-mal'' () is an Arabic term that is translated as "House of money" or "House of wealth." Historically, it was a financial institution responsible for the administration of taxes in Islamic states, particularly in the early Islamic Calip ...
'', and the third was allocated for the accommodation of guests.


See also

*
Majlis ( ar, المجلس, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning "sitting room", used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural conne ...


References


External links


Plan and Photographs

Virtual tour of the fort
{{Portal, Saudi Arabia Buildings and structures completed in the 19th century 1995 establishments in Saudi Arabia Forts in Saudi Arabia History of Nejd Ottoman Arabia Buildings and structures in Riyadh History museums in Saudi Arabia Museums established in 1995 Tourist attractions in Riyadh Castles in Saudi Arabia