Saudi Arabia is a desert country encompassing most of Arabian Peninsula,with Persian and Red Sea (Arabian) Gulf coastlines. Known as birthplace of Islam. Officially known as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,is geographically the fifth largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world. Although most tourists in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimage,there is growth in the leisure tourism sector. According to the World Bank,approximately 14.3 million people visited Saudi Arabia in 2013,making it the world's 19th most visited country. In December 2013,Saudi Arabia announced his intention to begin issuing tourist visas for the first time in its history.
List of places in Saudi Arabia;
- Masjid al-Haram also called the Sacred Mosque,and the Grand Mosque or Great Mosque of Mecca,i s the largest mosque in the world and surround Islam's holiest place,Kaaba in the city of Mecca. Muslims face Qibla (direction of Kaaba) while performing the Salat (obligatory daily prayers). One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage,one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world,at least once on his or her lifetime if able to do so,including TawafTawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba. The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres (88.2 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and is open at all times. The ,the direction that Muslims turn to in their prayers (salary)-is toward the Kaaba and symbolizes unity in worshiping one Allah (God). At one point the direction of the Qibla was toward Battery Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) (and is therefore called the first of the two Qiblas);however,this only lasted in seventeen months,after which the Qibla become oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to accounts from Muhammad's companions,the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer in Medina in the Masjid Al-Qiblatain. Pilgrimage,the Haram is the focal point of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages that occurs in the month of Dhu Al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar and at anytime of the year,respectively. The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the Pillars of Islam,required of all abled-bodied Muslims who can afford the trip. In recent times, over five million Muslims perform the Hajj every year. Some of the rituals performed by the pilgrims are symbolic of historical incidents. For examples,the episodes of Hagar's search of water is emulated by Muslims as they run between the two hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. The Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century,but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Ibrahim (Abraham). The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in the center of Masjid al-Haram and is one of the most sacred site in Islam. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers,no matter where they are. The direction from the location of the person who prays to the Kaaba is called the Qibla. The Hajj requires pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction. This circumambulation,the Tawaaf,is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). The Black Stone is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba. It was set intact into the Kaaba's wall by Muhammad in the year 605,five years before his first revelation. Since then it has been broken into a number of fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. It's physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark Rock,polished smooth by the hands of millions of pilgrims. Many of the pilgrims,if possible,stop and kiss the Black Stone,emulating the kiss that Islamic tradition record it having having received from Muhhamad. If they cannot reach it,they point to it on each of their seven circuits around the Kaaba. The Maqām Ibrahim (Abraham's place of standing) is a rock that reportedly has an imprint of Abraham's foot,which is kept in a crystal dome next to the Kaaba. This rock was identify by most Islamic scholars as one behind which Muhammad prayed when he circumambulated the Kaaba. Several traditions existed to explained how Abraham's footprint miraculously appeared in the stone,including one suggesting it appeared when Abraham stood on the stone while building the Kaaba:when the walls become to high,Abraham stood in the maqām,which miraculously rose up to let him continue building and also miraculously went down in order to allow Ishmael to hand him stones. Other traditions held that the footprint appeared when the wife of Ishmael washed Abraham's head,or alternatively when Abraham stood atop it in order to summon the people to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. Al-Safa and Al-Marwah are two hills,now located in the Masjid al-Haram. In Islamic tradition, Abraham's wife Hagar ran between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah looking for water for her infant son Ishmael until God eventually revealed her the ZamZam. Muslims also travel back and forth seven times during the ritual pilgrimage of Hajj and Umrah as a remembrance to her sacrifice. Al-Safa,from which the ritual walking begins,is located approximately half a mile from the Kaaba. Al-Marwah is located about a 100 m (330 ft) from the Kaaba. The distance between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah is approximately 450 m (1,480 ft). The Zamzam well,is a well located 20m (66 ft) east of the Kaaba. According to Islamic belief,it begin circa 2150 B.C.E. when Abraham's infant son Ishmael was thirsty and kept crying for water.
- Al-Masjid an-Nabawi is a mosque established and originally build by the Islamic prophet Muhammad,situated in the city of Medina. Al-Masjid an-Nabawi was the second mosque build in the history of Islam and is now one of the largest mosque in the world. It is the second-holiest site in Islam,after Masjid al-Haram of Mecca,it is always open,regardless of time and date. The site was originally adjacent to Muhammad's house;he settled there after his Hijra (emigration) to Medina in 622 CE. He shared in the heavy work of construction. The original mosque was an open-air building. The mosque serves as community center,a court,and a religious school. In 1909,it become the first place in Arabian Peninsula to be provided with electrical light. Many pilgrims who performed the Hajj go on to Medina to visit the mosque due to its connections to the life of Muhammad. After the expansion during the reign of the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I,it now incorporates the final resting place of Muhammad and the first two Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. One of the most notable features of the site is the Green Dome in the south-east corner of the mosque,originally the Aisha's house,where the tomb of Muhammad is located. In 1279,a wooden cupola was build over the tomb which was later rebuild and renovated multiple times in late 15th century and once in 1817. The current dome was added in 1818 by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II,and it was first painted green in 1837,hence becoming known as the Green Dome. The two tiered mosque has a rectangular plan. The Ottoman prayer hall faces towards the south. It has a flat paved roof topped with 27 sliding domes on square bases. Holes pierced into the base of each dome illuminate the interior. The roof is also used for prayers during peak times,when the domes slide out on metal tracks to shade the areas of the roof,creating light wells for the prayer hall. The heart of the mosque houses a very special but small area named Riad ul-Jannah (Gardens of Paradise). It extends from Muhammad's tomb (Rawdah) to his pulpit (minbar). Pilgrims attempt to visit the confines of the area,for their is a tradition that supplications and prayers uttered here are never rejected. Riad ul-Jannah is considered to be a part Jannah (Paradise). It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that Muhammad said."The area between my house and my minbar is one of the gardens of Paradise,and my minbar is on my cistern (Hawd)". As per Muhammad,Rawdah is also in heaven,the same Rawdah which is currently in the mosque. It is floored with green carpet just to identify it.and the entire mosque is floored with red carpet. It holds the tomb of Muhammad and two of its companions and first caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar in al-Khattab. A fourth grave is reserved for Jesus,as it is believed that he will return and will buried at the site. The site was covered by Green Dome. It was constructed in 1817 C.E. during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II and painted green in 1837 C.E. There are two Mihrabs in the mosque,one was build by Muhammad and others was build by the third Rashidun caliph Uthman. The one build by the latter was larger than than of Muhammad's and act as the functional mihrab,whereas Muhammad's mihrab is a "commemorative"mihrab. Beside the mihrab,the mosque also has other niches which act as indicators for praying. This include mihrab al-tahajjud which was build by Muhammad for the tahajjud,mihrab Fatima. The original Minbar used by Muhammad was a "wood block of date tree". This was replaced by him with a tamarisk one,which had a dimensions of 50 centimeters (0.50 m) x 125 metres (410 ft). Also in 629,a three staired ladder was added to it. The first caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar,did not used the third step "due to respect for the prophet",but the third caliph Uthman placed the fabric dome over it and the rest of the stairs were covered with ebony. The minbar was replaced by Baybars I in 1395 and later by Shaykh al Mahmudi in 1417. This was also replaced by a marble one by Qaitbay in the late fifteenth century,which as of August 2013,is still used in the mosque. The first Minarets (four in numbers) of 26 feet (7.9 metres) high were constructed by Umar. In 1307,a minaret titled Bab al-Salam was added by Muhammad ibn Kalavun which was renovated by Mehmed IV. After the renovation project of 1994,there were ten minarets which were 104 metres high. The minarets upper,buttom and middle portion are cylindrical,octagonal,and square shaped respectively.
- Dariyah formerly romanized as Dereyeh and Dariyya is a town in Saudi Arabia located on the north-western outskirt of the Saudi capital,Riyadh. Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi Royal Family,and served as the capital of the Emirate of Diriyah under the first Saudi Dynasty from 1744 to 1818. Ruins of the old city of Diriyah lay on either side of the narrow valley known as Wadi Hanifa,which continue southwards through Riyadh and beyond. Consisting almost entirely of mud-brick structures,the ruins are divided into three districts,Ghussaibah,Al-Mulaybeed,and Turaif,set on top of hills,overlooking the valley. Of the three,Turaif is the highest,and it's bottom is easily accessible to tourists by foot. Part of the city wall,running along the edges of the wadi and also made of mud-bricks,are still extant along with some short of observation towers. The modern city is build at a lower altitude at the foot of the hill upon which Turaif is located. To the north of the town,inside the valley,are numbers of gardens,palm,gloves and small farms and estates. A dam known as Al-llb lies farther north. The old city's historical structures include;Salsa Palace,it has the residence and first home of the Al Said Amirs and Imams during the First Saudi State. It is considered the largest palace on the site,rising four stories high. It is composed of five main parts build at different consecutive periods of time. It was probably finished by Saud ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud,who was Imam from 1803 to1814. Saad bin Saud Palace,one of the largest palace on the site,it is famous for its courtyard,which was used as a stable. The Palace is completely restored and several stories high.The Guest House and At-Turaif Bath House a traditional building consisting of a number of small courtyards surrounded by rooms. The Bath House is famous for its different architectural styles and shows how the building was waterproofed by using different plasters. Both the Guest and Bath Houses were supplied with water from a well in the wadi. Iman Mohammad bin Saud Mosque,a mosque build during the reign of Imam Mohammad bin Saud. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulwahab used to give lessons about his reformed movement of Islam in this mosque. It become a center for religious education. Students used to travel to it from all parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Mosim Park: a football ground in the Nakheel area. Mosim Park was erected in 2007 after Mosim FC,a football team in Dir'iyah moved there from their old ground downtown of Riyadh.
- Mada'in Saleh also called Al-Hijr or Hegra,is an archaeological site located in the Sector of Al-Ula sector,within the Province of Al-Madinah in the Region of the Hejaz,Saudi Arabia. A majority of the vestiges date from the Nabatean Kingdom (1st century A.D.). The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and largest settlements after Petra,its capital. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule,respectively,can also be found. In 2008 UNESCO proclaimed Mada'in Saleh as a site of patrimony,becoming Saudi Arabian 's first World Heritage Site. It was chosen for it well-preserved remains from late antiquity, especially the 131 rock-cut monumental tombs,with their elaborately ornamented facades,of the Nabatean kingdom. The archaeological site in Mada'in Saleh is situated 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) north of the town of Al-`Ula,400 km (248.5 mi) north-east of Medina,and 500 km (310.7 mi) south-east of Petra,Jordan. The site is on a plain,at a foot of a basalt plateau,which forms a portion of the Hijaz Mountains. The western and north-western portions of the site contains a water table that can be reached at a depth 20 m (65.6 ft). The settings is notable for its desert landscape,marked by sandstone outcrops of various sizes and heights. Although the Al-Hijr site was proclaimed as an archaeological treasure in the early 1970s,few investigator had been conducted since. The prohibition on the veneration of objects/artifacts has only resulted in minimal low-key archaeological activities. This conservative measures have started to ease up beginning in 2000,when Saudi Arabia invited expeditions to carry out archaeological explorations,as part of the government's push to promote cultural Heritage protection and tourism. The archaeological site was proclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The Nabatean site of Hegra was build around a residential zone and it's oasis during the 1st century A.D. The sandstone outcrops were carved out to build the necropolis. There are four necropolis areas have survived,which featured 131 monumental rock-cut tombs spread out over 13.4 km (8.3 mi),many with inscribed Nabatean epigraphs on their facades. Non-monumental burial sites,totaling 2,000,are also part of the place. A closer observation of the facade indicates the social status of the of the buried person-the size and ornamentation of the structure reflect the wealth of the person. Some of the facades had plates on top of the entrances providing information about the grave owners,the religious system,and masons who carved them. Many graves indicate military ranks,leading archaeologists to speculate that the site might have once been a Nabatean military base,meant to protect the settlement's trading activities. A religious area,known as Jabal Ithlib,is located to the north-east of the site. It is believed to have been originally dedicated to the Nabatean deity Dushara. A narrow corridor,40 metres (131 ft) long between the high rocks and reminiscent of the Siq in Petra. The residential area is located on the middle of the plain,far from the outcrops. The location of the site at the crossroads of trade,as well as the various languages,scripts and artistic styles reflected in the facades of its monumental tombs further set it apart from the archaeological sites. It has duly earned the nickname "The Capital of Monuments" among Saudi Arabia's 4,000 archaeological sites.
- Dumat al-Jundal is an ancient city of ruins located in north-western of Saudi Arabia in the Al Hawd Province,it is located 37 km away from Sakakah. The name Dumat Al Jandal means literally "Dumah of the Stone",since this was the territory of Dumah,one of the twelve son's of Ishmael. The city's ancient Akkadian name was Adummatu. The city has a history dating back to the 10th century B.C. and it is mentioned in Akkadian inscriptions of the Assyrian Empire dating to 845 B.C. in which it is referred to as Adummatu and is described as the capital of an Arab kingdom,sometimes named as Qedar (Qidri). The names of five powerful Arab queens that ruled this city are known,among them Zabibe,Samsi,Tabua and Te`elhunu. The latter is also given the title of high priestess of Atarsamain,a deity of fertility,love and war associated with Ishtar. Dumat al-Jundal was the site of an important temple dedicated to the Ishtar. The mosque of Omar ibn al-Khattab is situated in the town of Dumat al-Jandal,a major intersection of ancient trade routes linking Mesopotamia,Syria and the Arabian Peninsula. The mosque itself was build in 634-644. The north (qibla) wall of the mosque faces the al-Marid castle across the street. On its other three sides,it is surrounded by dense urban fabric. Like other buildings in the town,the mosque is build in stone. Al Dar`i Qiarter is located in the neighborhood of Omar Bin Al Khatab Mosque and Marid Fortress,which represent the old quarter of Dumat al-Jandal. Al Dar'i Quateris considered to be one of remaining antiquities of Dumat al-Jandal's ancient city which has escape the demolition shovels befalling the historical market of Dumat al-Jandal 25 years ago.
- Bir Hima is a rock art site in Najran Province,in south-east of Saudi Arabia,about 200 km (120 mi) north of the city of Najran. An ancient Palaeolithic and Neolithic site,the Bir Hima Complex covers the time period of 2500-1000 B.C. Bir Hima contains numerous troughs whose type is similar from North Arabia to Yemen. Saudi Arabia's rock art,which has found appreciation in recent years,is considered among the richest in the world along with other examples found in Australia,India and South Africa. Bir Hima,as part of Najran,is a treasure trove of petroglyphs,eclipsed only by those found in the Jubba region. Here,100 sites have been identified. In the Najran area,as many as 6,400 human and animal illustration,which includes more than 1,800 camels and 1,300 humans depictions,have been recorded. At this important rock art site,apart from depictions of humans,giraffes,and other animals,the sixth century inscriptions of Dhu Nuwas,a Himyarite King who occupied Najran,are also recorded.
- Qibla Mosque,in the outlying environs in Medina,is one of the oldest mosque in the world. According to legend,its first stones were positioned by the Islamic Prophet Muhammad as soon as he arrived on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina and the mosque was completed by his companions. Muhammad spend fourteen days in this mosque during the Hijra praying qasr (a short prayer) while waiting for Ali to arrive in Medina after the latter stayed behind in Mecca to carry out a couple of tasks entrusted to him by the prophet. The prayer hall is arranged around a central courtyard, characterised by six large domes resting in clustered columns. A portico,which is two bays in,borders the courtyard on the east and west,while a one-bayed portico border on the north,and separates it from the woman's prayer area. When Quba Mosque was rebuild in 1986,the Medina architecture was retained-ribbed white domes,and basalt facing the modest exterior-qualities that recalls Medina simplicity. The courtyard,is flagged with black,red and white marble. It is screened overhead by day from the scorching heat with shades. Arabesque latticework filters the light of the palm groves outside.
- King Fahd's Fountain,also known as the Jeddah Fountain,is a fountain in Jeddah,the tallest of its kind in the world. The fountain was donated to the city of Jeddah by King Fahd,hence its name. It was constructed between 1980 and 1983 and was launched in 1985. Located in the west coast of Saudi Arabia,the fountain jets water to a maximum height,according to different sources,of either 853 feet (260 metres) or 1,024 feet (312 metres) above the Red Sea. Even at the lower figure,King Fahd's Fountain would easily be the tallest;the second-tallest is the World Cup Fountain in Seoul,South Korea,with a water height of about 663 feet ( 202 metres). The fountain is visible throughout the vicinity of Jeddah. The water it ejects can reach the speed of 375 kilometres (233 metres) per hour and it's airborne mass can exceed 18 short tons (16,000 kg.). The fountain uses saltwater taken from the Red Sea instead of freshwater. Over 500 spotlights illuminate the fountain at night.
- Jeddah Tower previously known as Kingdom Tower and Mile High Tower,is a skyscraper under construction in Jeddah. If completed as planned,the Jeddah Tower will reach unprecedented heights becoming the tallest building in the world,as well as the first structure to reach the one kilometer-high-mark. It will be the centerpiece and first phase of a proposed development known as Jeddah Economic City that will be located along the Red Sea on the north side of Jeddah. Initially planned to be 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) high,the geology of the area proved unsuitable for a tower of that height. At about one kilometre,the Jeddah Tower would still be by far the tallest building or structure in the world to date,standing 180 metres (591 ft) taller than the Burj khalifa in Dubai,United Arab Emirates. Jeddah Tower's 50-hectare (120 acres) plot with surrounding buildings will be the first of a three-phase Jeddah Economic City development. The three-phase project proposed for a large area of undeveloped waterfront land with an area of 5.2km²,and take around ten years to build. The development will essentially become a new district in Jeddah. The second phase of the project will be the infrastructure development needed to support the city,and the third phase is not yet been revealed.
Farasan Islands are a large coral-island group in the Red Sea. The islands are located some 40 km offshore from Jizan,in the far southwestern part of the country. The "Farasan Islands marine sanctuary" is a protected area and were home to the extinct Arabian gazette and,i n winter,migratory birds from Europe. The largest island of the archipelago Farasan island;other includes Sajid island and Zufaf island.
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