Situated in Wadi Hanifah, The Old Diriyyah Palace, 30 kms north of Riyadh, has a key role in the history of Saudi Arabia. Diriyyah is the symbol of Saudi Arabia's history, culture and traditional architecture. It was the seat of the first government of Saudi Arabia of King Abdul Aziz bin Saud (or Ibn Saud). For over three centuries, Diriyyah was the ruling center of the family of al-Saud.

For the route to Old Diriyyah, please proceed to the last page of this section

From the land of Diriyyah came out the forces of al-Saud to unite the tribes of different views, ideas and conflicts and brought them under one rule and one administration. They maintained peace, security, understanding and harmony among various tribes

Palace of Salwa

Salwa Palace has the highest remaining walls in Diriyyah. The remnants of the three floored structure shows the marvelous architecture of stones and clay

Lights of dawn lit through the doors of palace.

Diriyyah Palace is a true example of traditional architecture of Najd by using sun-dried mud-brick for walls and tamarisk beams for roofs

Wooden door, with decorated patterns, strengthened by heavy iron nails and bars