Top 4 Historical Places to Explore in Riyadh

One of the best ways to explore a country is to learn more about its history. If you are a history lover and like to discover more about the history of Riyadh during your stay in the area, here are the top historical places to visit in Riyadh.

Being the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has an intriguing history that stretches back through hundreds of years. The tiny rural village named Hajr that used to be a connecting hub for traders who travel across great deserts of Arabia, today is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Filled with risen and fallen empires, tales of valiance and stories of gold and enormous wealth, the city’s history is always worth an exploration.

With rich architecture, culture and old buildings and mosques, the Riyadh has many historical attractions that are well-preserved that will showcase the grand history of the country at its finest.

01 The National Museum

What better place is there to start your historical exploration in Riyadh than the national Museum. With an extensive collection of artefacts collected from around the country, the place promises you an educational and insightful tour. The statues, tombs, weapons, arts, crafts, jewellery and inscriptions and more will take you back on time to the yesteryears of the country. One of the main highlights of the place is the life-size recreation of one of the Nabatean tombs of Madain Saleh.

With Eight galleries across two floors that have well planned to take a visitor on a ride from pre-history right to the modern era, the museum is an ideal place to spend a few hours digging deep into the history of the country. The 180-degree cinema-style historical show that will tell you the story of the old kingdom is another special highlight of you must witness.

02 Murabba Palace

Built by King Abdul Aziz, Murabba Palace is located just outside Riyadh, making it one of the easiest-to-access historical places in Riyadh. The palace was built in 1936 at the very start of the Oil boom in Saudi, making it one of the palaces constructed in recent years. The palace was used to be the permanent residence of King Abdul Aziz for a long time and has been an important place where quite a few of the important historical events has happened. For example, the first automobile of the country a rolls Royce was received at the palace to the Saudi king as a gift from Winston Churchill and countries the first lift was also installed here for the convenience of the ageing king. Today the palace is a museum that showcases of the historical artefacts and archives such as king’s letters and photographs of Saudi history. The palace is also one of the best palaces that will show you the fine royal lifestyle of the Saudi kings.

03 Dira

Situated on the western edge of Riyadh is Dira, an ancient town that has a great history to explore. The tiny ancient town plays a massive role in Saudi Arabia’s history. Although this is a town mostly overlooked with the grandeur of its Neighbour Riyadh, the city has an interesting story that doesn't second to Riyadh.

Being the first Saudi state of the Saudi Dynasty, Dira has many amazing mud palaces, mosques, houses and souks that are worth to explore. The town is known for its Najd mud architecture that you can witness at every corner of the city. The unique architecture style of the buildings of the city that has built like fortresses featuring tiny square shape windows has built to reduce sunlight and heat entry into the building to maintain lower interior temperature.

Today the area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is the best historical places to visit in Saudi with many commercial areas, restaurants, museums and a visitor centre.

04 Al Masmak

Another best place to explore the history of Saudi Arabia is Al Masmak. The place is full of various displays including maps and photographs of the country as well as a range of historical artefacts, artworks and audiovisual attractions. The place was built by the prince of Riyadh, Abdulrahman ibn Sulaiman ibn Dabaan during the period of Mohammed ibn Abdullah ibn Rasheed in 1865.

Historical Tour in Riyadh

Plan your historical tour in Riyadh if you are a history lover looking forward to exploring all these places during your short stay in Riyadh. Let the experts help you plan your Riyadh historical tour so you could get the most out of your time in the area. Offering you the best historical tours in Riyadh, we ensure a premium quality historical experience worth your money. With experienced guides, we’ll explain to you everything in your language, providing you with an educational touring experience. Plan your historical tour in Riyadh with us.