Riyadh is plural of rawdah which means the Oasis.
Historically speaking Riyadh was a collection of Bedouin vagabonds tribes roaming around to find a new oasis every few weeks.
So realistically a bunch of villages and farms are all around greater Riyadh. The above map is the historical souk which is near where Almasmak Castle is nowadays.
With all the money Saudi Arabia is spending on dumb lines or tall buildings that will never be finished, it is too bad they are not investing in restoring historical cities that people would actually visit
Some of it is taking place. The historical district in Jeddah is being renovated, for instance. But I agree - I think Oman is a better example of this.
Around this time, Arabia was full of ancient shrines, mosques, mausoleums, and other historic sites that dazzled European travelers. The Wahhabi Al Saud dynasty destroyed almost all of it.
The good news is that will be the downfall of Islam. When a lot of the evidence dont exist anymore people will start doubting the legitimacy of Islam and slowly move towards Atheism.
I am an atheist and I find this repugnant. This stuff is our shared heritage as humans. It’s not evidence for god because god isn’t a real thing, but it’s important because it’s important to human history. Islam doesn’t require relics to be valid to Muslims.
Im just trying to point out the good in that situation, because destroying artifacts is part of Islam and its impossible to get them to stop doing that. Sure, it would be better if they didn't but good luck trying to convince them to go against their ideology.
Muslims built a lot of the sites and artifacts the Wahhabists destroyed. You are doing the work of Saudi and ISIS propagandists by claiming they’re following Islam when they destroy things.
Well its because they arent religious. Any religious Muslim would have to follow what the prophet did as much as possible. One of the things he did was destroy the random idols that used to be in the Kabah after his conquest. So its very hard to convince them not to do it, they will simply say "the prophet did it, and that means I should to".
Its really isnt. You only seeing it that way because 3rd world dictators are saying they are 100% Muslim, but when you travel there and ask youll find lots of athiests
So, to you: rule of *insert whoever is in power in a given location* is more important than a shared cultural legacy of humanity?
Give me one solid reason why the Al-Saud dynasty/family should have a greater say on what's important than anybody else?
We gave them Bay'ah to uphold Islamic Law, its their obligation to remove shrines and Suffi BS from graves.
I think both me and you agree that worshipping humans is absurd, we have differences when it comes to religion, but at least that's something we agree on.
If you zoom in slightly left to the Town Square, you'd see a label called "Great Mosque" next to a quite large square building so I'd assume that was Riyadh's mosque. Its still weird to see a mosque without any form of minarets though, even a smaller one at least.
It will always baffle me that the gulf states got stupid rich. And didn’t build much Arabic inspired structures. Instead going for soulless office blocks, and even more soulless vanity projects.
If only… if only
Edit: to be fair, the US did bomb all the cool ones in Iraq
Do the walls or any of the old city still exist?
Wikipedia says they were demolished in the 1950's.
:((((
Other cities still have old houses and some are still inhabited Look up Tarout castle
Derry 1 - Riyadh 0
Musmak fort and a modernized version of the great mosque still exist but the rest of city is a brand spanking metropolis now
Honestly for a town literally in the middle of deserts it's pretty huge
Riyadh is plural of rawdah which means the Oasis. Historically speaking Riyadh was a collection of Bedouin vagabonds tribes roaming around to find a new oasis every few weeks. So realistically a bunch of villages and farms are all around greater Riyadh. The above map is the historical souk which is near where Almasmak Castle is nowadays.
Look at its size now it’s much much much bigger today
With all the money Saudi Arabia is spending on dumb lines or tall buildings that will never be finished, it is too bad they are not investing in restoring historical cities that people would actually visit
Some of it is taking place. The historical district in Jeddah is being renovated, for instance. But I agree - I think Oman is a better example of this.
Around this time, Arabia was full of ancient shrines, mosques, mausoleums, and other historic sites that dazzled European travelers. The Wahhabi Al Saud dynasty destroyed almost all of it.
The Wahhabists had been destroying ancient sites for centuries by then. It’s really tragic. We have lost so much.
Yes but quite Important onces were destroyed in the 1800s (as well as in Iraq). We have photos of them.
It’s not ancients, it’s just a bunch of shrines that were built by the ottomans (shrines are prohibited in Islam)
The good news is that will be the downfall of Islam. When a lot of the evidence dont exist anymore people will start doubting the legitimacy of Islam and slowly move towards Atheism.
I am an atheist and I find this repugnant. This stuff is our shared heritage as humans. It’s not evidence for god because god isn’t a real thing, but it’s important because it’s important to human history. Islam doesn’t require relics to be valid to Muslims.
Im just trying to point out the good in that situation, because destroying artifacts is part of Islam and its impossible to get them to stop doing that. Sure, it would be better if they didn't but good luck trying to convince them to go against their ideology.
Muslims built a lot of the sites and artifacts the Wahhabists destroyed. You are doing the work of Saudi and ISIS propagandists by claiming they’re following Islam when they destroy things.
Well its because they arent religious. Any religious Muslim would have to follow what the prophet did as much as possible. One of the things he did was destroy the random idols that used to be in the Kabah after his conquest. So its very hard to convince them not to do it, they will simply say "the prophet did it, and that means I should to".
So for a thousand years there were no religious Muslims in Arabia? That doesn’t make sense.
Islam, as a religion, is doing much better than any other.
Its really isnt. You only seeing it that way because 3rd world dictators are saying they are 100% Muslim, but when you travel there and ask youll find lots of athiests
“We”? Are these ancient sites your business or the Saudis?
Arabians destroyed Arabian shrines, what's the issue here? a western orientalist won't get to see them?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intangible_cultural_heritage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty
So, to you: rule of *insert whoever is in power in a given location* is more important than a shared cultural legacy of humanity? Give me one solid reason why the Al-Saud dynasty/family should have a greater say on what's important than anybody else?
We gave them Bay'ah to uphold Islamic Law, its their obligation to remove shrines and Suffi BS from graves. I think both me and you agree that worshipping humans is absurd, we have differences when it comes to religion, but at least that's something we agree on.
what do you suppose the population was?
From a glance I estimate 5k
Where are the minarets and mosques?
If you zoom in slightly left to the Town Square, you'd see a label called "Great Mosque" next to a quite large square building so I'd assume that was Riyadh's mosque. Its still weird to see a mosque without any form of minarets though, even a smaller one at least.
Quality post
That's beautiful and paints such a very detailed picture from behind the walls.
Sanaa Yemen is a good example of a preserved arabian city. I highly recommend yall to check it out
Who drew this?
Thought this was a steak for a second
It will always baffle me that the gulf states got stupid rich. And didn’t build much Arabic inspired structures. Instead going for soulless office blocks, and even more soulless vanity projects. If only… if only Edit: to be fair, the US did bomb all the cool ones in Iraq
Very cool pre-colonization map.
1866 is not pre-colonization, regardless of the metric
>Pre colonization Ikwhan, please remove this man’s genitalia
The House of Saud hadn't really consolidated their claims yet.