Peace is an authentic Saudi Riyadh, and in order to get a feel for the real Saudi Arabia, I asked him to take a walk around the interesting places in Riyadh and take some photos as a souvenir. So one weekend morning, we set off.
Peace is going to take me to Riyadh's old town, and like me, he also likes the traditional parts of the cultures and the ancient history and relics, and he regrets that many of the historic buildings in the old city no longer exist, perhaps others do not even know that they existed, but Peace has lived here since childhood.
Streets of the Old Town (2020-10-23)
After entering the old city, the road becomes relatively narrow, but the trees on both sides of the road make me feel as if I am in the country, making people feel that although in the desert country, the greenery of the city is still good, and perhaps this is the treasure left by the years here.
The main check-in points in Riyadh's old town were the Water Tower, the Royal Palace, the National Museum and Musmak Castle.
Earthy yellow high-rise building
The first place we went were two earth-yellow high-rise buildings that are 60 to 70 years old, and modern high-rise buildings in Riyadh rarely have this color.
Riyadh Water Tower
Riyadh Water Tower
Next we came to the Riyadh Water Tower, a 16-storey water tower that was once a landmark in Riyadh until it was replaced by the Al Faisaliyah Center after 2000. The water tower was once open to visitors and there is also a restaurant inside. Its color is often changed, once it was sky blue, and today we see gray.
Blue water tower photographed in February 2019
Gray water tower photographed on October 23, 2020
Peace and water tower
Abdul Aziz Historic Center
King Abdulaziz Historical Center
Then we came to the Abdul Aziz Historic Center. It contains landmarks such as the National Museum, the former palace of the king and the surrounding green park. Early in the morning, many people in the park sat around the green space chatting and playing cards. In front of the museum, the water in the artificial creek flows, the fallen leaves go with the waves, and the morning sun shines through the dappled tree shadows, shining on the surface of the water, which is very pleasant.
The boat-shaped building opposite the park is actually a seafood restaurant
Park gates
The Old Royal Palace
Royal palace colonnades and traditional Saudi gates
The royal car used by the old king in the royal showroom
Inside the palace
This is a historical and cultural attraction and a park, so naturally I took my camera out to take a picture, and there was no sign here that said I couldn't use a camera. But a security guard came up and said he couldn't use a camera, but he could shoot with his phone. Later, I found that this was the case at many saudi attractions, and permission was required to use a camera.
But what's the difference between mobile phone shooting and camera shooting? A lot of the pictures I take now, but the phone takes them well. However, since it is in Saudi Arabia, it can only follow the local customs. With the further opening up of Saudi Arabia, many strict rules have also been loosened. Movies and other entertainment are now actively evolving, and the previous rule that men can't wear knee-revealing pants has been abolished.
Masmark Castle
Al-Maṣmak
Leaving the historic center, we come to the fourth site, Al-Maṣmak. Built in 1865 and 155 years old, Masmark Castle has witnessed the rise of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1902, Masmak Castle was captured by the late King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, ushering in the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The castle was once a military barracks, later converted into an ammunition depot, and was also used as a prison. The current castle is a museum with a number of historical artifacts and works of art, including maps and photographs of Saudi Arabia from 1912 to 1937.
Masmark Castle in the morning light
Riyadh Clock Tower
Old neighborhoods in Riyadh
After seeing the landmarks of the old town, we walked the streets and alleys and looked at some old residential areas. It is mainly inhabited by foreigners who come to Saudi Arabia to work, but the living environment is not very good.
Peace doesn't mind showing me some of the scars in cities, and it's not uncommon for every city in the world to have problems of one kind or another left over from history. For example, Changsha, where I am located, is a thousand-year-old city, and there are many old communities, through the government's transformation plan, more and more communities have become sightseeing spots in Changsha and become places for people to find historical memories.
Graffiti on the roadside wall in the old town
Old Town Commercial Market
There are many commercial markets in the old city of Riyadh, including garment markets, flea markets, perfume markets, coffee sugar markets, etc., similar to the domestic small commodity market. There are ancient coins sold in the flea market, including coins from the Ottoman Empire era, the price is not expensive, I like it, but I dare not buy it, afraid of not being able to bring it back to China, after all, it should be regarded as a cultural relic.
There are also all kinds of old cameras from the 70s and 80s, but the price is very expensive. My experience is that countries with history usually pay more attention to traditional and historical things. In this regard, the United States is far behind, I once spent $7 in an antique shop in the United States to buy a fairy tale book published in 1930, basically every page has color pictures, hardcover books, well-preserved. He also spent $7 on a literary book published in 1894. Americans may have lost, but I did.
Coffee sugar market
Old Town (partial)
The collapsed old house that is about to disappear
Overlooking the city (partial)
Wadi Namar Dam Park
On the way back, pass by Wadi Namar Dam Park, a watery park in the canyon. There are residential buildings on both sides of the high slope, and the hard loess under the house should be relatively strong. On the surface of the water, I suddenly found a group of wild ducks, a lot of aquatic weeds in the water, but also a lot of small fish, which surprised me, it seems that Saudi Arabia has surprises everywhere.
Steep cliffs with dwellings
Wadi Namar Dam Park
In just one morning, we took a scenic look at Riyadh's old town, witnessed the traces of history, and also saw the future development of the city. The old town is full of the busyness of life, and there is no shortage of calm and comfortable leisure. This country, which is both mysterious and rich, also has its simple and quiet side.
Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid changes, especially Saudi Arabia began to fully open the tourism market on January 1, 2021, I don't know if Saudi Arabia's tourism opening policy can be implemented well, but at least it gives me some expectations, after all, I still have to go to Jeddah, Euler and other attractions with peace.