Preliminary results of the first season of investigations of a palatial complex in the World Heritage Site of At-Turaif (al-Ṭurayf) District in Diriyah (al-Dirʿiyya) (Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Keywords:
Palaces, Building Archaeology, Saudi Arabian Archaeology, Najd Architecture, First Saudi StateAbstract
The preliminary results of the first archaeological season in the World Heritage Site of At Turaif (al-Ṭurayf) District in Diriya (Dirʿiyya) is shedding light on the nature of several buildings in the south-eastern side of its unrestored area.
At-Turaif is one of the historical districts of Diriyah, situated on a plateau north-west of Riyadh. It became the centre of the administrative power of the House of Al-Saud in 1766 and was destroyed by the Ottomans in 1818. The site includes houses, defensive structures, mosques, and palatial complexes built in the Najdi architectural style.
This study focuses on the interpretation of the nature of the architectural features of a previously unstudied complex — Complex B — which was mentioned in the literature as an ‘Unnamed Palace’. However, based on the results of the excavations, only two of the building units of this complex can be interpreted as palatial structures. The comparison of their characteristics with other palaces in At-Turaif and with residential units in another complex of the project area, Complex C, seems to support this interpretation.
With an integrated archaeology-conservation approach and through building archaeology, our investigation covers the study of the layout of Complex B, the construction sequence of the buildings, as well as their relationship with the surrounding environment and topography.
References
AA.VV. 1985. Walls and towers of old Diraiyah, archaeological report. Riyadh: General Department of Antiquities and Museums, Ministry of Education.
AA.VV. 1990. The Salwa Palace and Abdullah bin Saud Palace at at-Tureif – Diryya. (General Administration of Antiquities and Museums). Riyadh: General Department of Antiquities and Museums, Ministry of Education.
Albini M. 1990. Traditional architecture in Saudi Arabia, the Central Region. Riyadh: General Department of Antiquities and Museums, Ministry of Education.
al‑Anbar A.S. 1999. A study of the interiors and their decoration in the traditional mud-brick architecture of the Najd region of Saudi Arabia and the factors that have influenced the development of interior decoration and spatial organization. PhD thesis, Edinburgh College of Art. Available at http://hdl.handle.net/1842/26635 (accessed on 29 September 2023).
Facey W. 1997a. Back to earth: Adobe building in Saudi Arabia. London: Tauris Academic Studies.
Facey W. 1997b. Dir’iyyah and the First Saudi State. London: Stacey International.
Hashim S.A. 2005. The Salwa Palace and the Salwa Mosque. Riyadh: Cultural Program, Arriyadh Development Authority.
Ibn Khamis A. 1982. Dir’iyyah the first capital. Riyadh: Dar Alfarazdak.
al‑Mogren N-B-A. 2020. Diriyah narrated by its built environment: The story of the First Saudi State (1744–1818). MA thesis, Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Available at http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 (accessed on 29 September 2023).
al‑Naim M.M. 2021. Traditional Najdi settlement architectural elements: Harmonizing function, aesthetics, and shared socio-cultural meaning. Journal of Architecture and Planning 33/2: 261–276.
al‑Naim M.M. 2022. Discovering the integrative spatial and physical order in traditional Arab towns: A study of five traditional Najdi settlements of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Architecture and Planning 34: 223–238.
Semmari F.B. & Goheimy N.A. 2015. Al Bujairi. Heart of the call. Riyadh: Medina Publishing.
Yassin Z.K. 1993. At-Turaif bath and its annexes. Al-Turaif Quarter, Al-Diriyah. Riyadh: General Department of Antiquities and Museums, Ministry of Education.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Archaeopress Publishing, Oxford, UK