A town beside the wadi
Mani al-Muraydi founded Diriyah in 1446 in Wadi Hanifah, northwest of present-day Riyadh. Deposits left by the wadi provided agricultural soil, while water close to the surface supplied wells. The oasis, with its gardens and date palms, helped support settlement.
Diriyah as a seat of government
Imam Muhammad bin Saud made Diriyah the capital of the First Saudi State, which he established in 1727. Its political and religious role grew during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. At-Turaif was a centre of government and contains Salwa Palace.
What At-Turaif preserves
At-Turaif was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2010, with the designation limited to the district within Diriyah. Its palaces, surviving buildings and street network illustrate Najdi construction, particularly adobe and geometric decoration. The site contains surviving historic elements and later restoration work.
Related people
- PersonImam Muhammad bin SaudFounder and first imam of the First Saudi State in 1139 AH/1727 CE, who made Diriyah its capital and ruled for forty years, uniting most of Najd.
- PersonImam Saud bin Abdulaziz Al SaudImam Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud was the third imam of the First Saudi State, which took Diriyah as its capital. He led the Saudi forces at the First Battle of Al-Hanakiyah in 1228 AH/1813 CE, was described as close to his people and humble in his dealings, and his era saw the scholarly councils of Diriyah flourish.
- PersonImam Abdullah bin SaudImam Abdullah bin Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud was the last imam of the First Saudi State, ruling after the death of his father over the period 1229–1233 AH/1814–1818. During his reign the siege of Diriyah took place; he then surrendered and was transferred to Egypt and then to Constantinople.
- PersonImam Muhammad bin Abdul WahhabImam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab was a Saudi reformer who lived and taught in Diriyah and called for the oneness of God and a return to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, brought; his call became tied to the Saudi family, and from Diriyah the influence of the First Saudi State spread.
Related topics
- GovernorateDiriyah GovernorateA governorate north-west of Riyadh on Wadi Hanifah, founded in 850 AH/1446 CE, capital of the First Saudi State and home to the World Heritage site of At-Turaif.
- HistoricAt-Turaif DistrictA historic district at the heart of Diriyah, built in the mid-eighteenth century CE, seat of the First Saudi State and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010.
- HistoricAshayqer Heritage VillageAshayqer Heritage Village is a historic village in Shaqra Governorate in the Riyadh Region, about 200 km north-west of the capital, Riyadh. It is known for its mud-brick buildings and palm oases; its history goes back more than 600 years as recorded in documents kept by residents, and it contains more than 500 buildings that residents are working to restore.
- EventEgyptian Campaign on DiriyahThe Egyptian Campaign on Diriyah was a military campaign directed at the First Saudi State, launched by a commission from the Ottoman Sultan to Muhammad Ali, who assumed the rule of Egypt in 1220 AH; its forces reached Diriyah in 1233 AH/1818 CE after wars that lasted nearly seven years.