Riyadh can be described as the city with a network of bridges, fly-over, over-passes, under-passes, grade-separated intersections, clover-leaf intersections, Malls & Super markets, white-colored limousines, flood of cars & vehicles.
There is a place in Riyadh where one finds a similar look of a neo-China town; here the Indo-Pak-Bangladesh expatriates don’t simply gather for rendezvous rather live here. This place is very famous and is called Hai-Al-Wazarat (Wazarat means ministries) and over the years its name got metamorphosed dramatically to a simple HARA; HA from Haiyya and RA from Wazarat, interesting no? This area is now known as HARA alone and be it a limousine driver (of any nationality) or even a local Saudi almost every body in Riyadh now knows it by this new name. May be some day even the local Municipality may name it as a official name.
Some 25 to 30 years ago when expatriates first started to arrive in the Kingdom for employment in large numbers, they preferred to live here in this locality. For simple reason: their workplaces (at that time they were largely employed in the Public Sector rather than Private Sector) were generally located here. For that matter, many offices of the Government Ministries still happen to be located here. This human settlement then saw its natural growth and the development followed to accommodate the incoming expatriates and their families. This explains the reason for this unusual concentration of such communities here in HARA.
In Hara, you willl find all sorts of small shops that sell those especial food items only which are exclusively used and consumed by the Indo-Pak-Bangladeshi community alone. Mutton & beef and even some vegetables & fruits and similar supplies from Pakistan/India and frozen fish from Bangladesh are abundantly available. By virtue of these, Hara enjoys a unique place and reputation among the Indo-Pak-Bangladeshi community; residents from other places of Riyadh, even Arabs and Filipinos, are also known to frequent Hara in search of their desi stuffs or simply for stuffs at bargain prices.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
History of Ar Riyadh
The capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; “Ar riyad” is the plural for “rawda” and means the rich orchards and gardens. It obtained its name due to being long ago one of the few regions amidst the desert that was distinguished for its fertile and green lands. Historians described it as a wide-range region, abundant in plantations and springs. Ar Riyadh was built on the remains of the City of (Hajar), that surmounted a hill of limited height amidst a small pond on both sides of the Western Al Watar Valley (Al Bat’haa), and it is one of Hanifa Valley streams. But as to Al Riyadh name in specific, it was only known since about 300 years.
Economically speaking, Trade and grazing had a special importance in Najad Hill, that is midway of Riyadh, as the city was a commercial center that connects the east of the Arabian Peninsula with its west, south, and north. Politically speaking, Ar Riyadh played a leading role in the history of Najad, as it was a capital during Imam Turkey Bin Abadallah reign when the second Saudi State rose up in 1240 HIJRI (1824 AD), and it strongly retained its glory when King Abed Al Aziz (mercy be on his soul) regained it on the 5th of Shawwal 1319 HIJRI (15 January 1902 AD).
Ar Riyadh is located in the center of the world’s continents in accordance with the Kingdom’s geographical location. And this location gains another dimension as it is situated in the middle of the Kingdom in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula center, on a latitude (38.24) degrees north and a longitude (43.64) degrees east, and a height about 600m above sea level.
In a half century, Ar Riyadh was transformed from a small town surrounded by fences to a modern city. Its cultural development scope in its both first and second stages is 1782 Sq.km, which exceeds the areas of many states, as an example, its area is three times Singapore’s area.
The first stage of the cultural scope covers the current city borders (about 632 Sq.km), whereas the second stage covers the remaining area 1150 Sq.km, and the current developed area is about 950 Sq.km. This reflects the grand expansion the region is witnessing after it has outgone its fences, to become one of the three biggest civilized regions in the Kingdom, along with the civilized region for Mecca and Jeddah in Mecca, and the civilized region for Al Dahran, Ad Dammam and Al Khobar in the Eastern Region
Al Messmak Citadel is considered one of the most important historical sites in the Kingdom as it holds a distinguished place in the history of Ar Riyadh City in particular and of the Saudi Arabia Kingdom in general
These Holy country natives really deserve that Al Hakam Castle region which resembles the central point of Ar Riyadh city and the starting point of constituting the Kingdom to obtain the care and attention that fit its distinguished place
Al Der’eya is a city that makes the hearts flutter and the souls vibrate as it witnessed the biggest religious reformation movement in the Islamic world
The National Museum was founded to be a national distinguishing mark on an equal level with the Saudi Arabia Kingdom to participate in enriching the educational course, intellectual consciousness, and develop the noble belonging, and to act as an immortal epistle.
The exhibits varied to include antique pieces, documents, scripts, display panels, in addition to using the various trendy devices, besides the documentary and scientific films.
The museum is distinguished for its integrated exhibits, and contributing a serial theme from the beginning of the universe creation to the modern age, and its basic point is about the Arabian Peninsula. Each main hall of the museum is devoted to introduce an independent and integrated objective display; and the museum consists of eight main display halls, arranged in an accurate historical sequence, where the visitor can reach it according to an architectural design taking into consideration its chronological sequence
Al Janaderiya Is one of the biggest cultural festivals in the Arab World, and the most to attract visitors and participants. The festival is held in the period between Shawwal and Du El Uqda months every year, which means around month February. It had been fifteen continuous years since the launching of the festival and year after year it is gaining more brilliancy and success; and in year 1420 HIJRI, the fifteenth festival was held which was a huge celebration, and a continuous traditional and cultural wedding feast, which attracted thousands of visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom
Economically speaking, Trade and grazing had a special importance in Najad Hill, that is midway of Riyadh, as the city was a commercial center that connects the east of the Arabian Peninsula with its west, south, and north. Politically speaking, Ar Riyadh played a leading role in the history of Najad, as it was a capital during Imam Turkey Bin Abadallah reign when the second Saudi State rose up in 1240 HIJRI (1824 AD), and it strongly retained its glory when King Abed Al Aziz (mercy be on his soul) regained it on the 5th of Shawwal 1319 HIJRI (15 January 1902 AD).
Ar Riyadh is located in the center of the world’s continents in accordance with the Kingdom’s geographical location. And this location gains another dimension as it is situated in the middle of the Kingdom in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula center, on a latitude (38.24) degrees north and a longitude (43.64) degrees east, and a height about 600m above sea level.
In a half century, Ar Riyadh was transformed from a small town surrounded by fences to a modern city. Its cultural development scope in its both first and second stages is 1782 Sq.km, which exceeds the areas of many states, as an example, its area is three times Singapore’s area.
The first stage of the cultural scope covers the current city borders (about 632 Sq.km), whereas the second stage covers the remaining area 1150 Sq.km, and the current developed area is about 950 Sq.km. This reflects the grand expansion the region is witnessing after it has outgone its fences, to become one of the three biggest civilized regions in the Kingdom, along with the civilized region for Mecca and Jeddah in Mecca, and the civilized region for Al Dahran, Ad Dammam and Al Khobar in the Eastern Region
Al Messmak Citadel is considered one of the most important historical sites in the Kingdom as it holds a distinguished place in the history of Ar Riyadh City in particular and of the Saudi Arabia Kingdom in general
These Holy country natives really deserve that Al Hakam Castle region which resembles the central point of Ar Riyadh city and the starting point of constituting the Kingdom to obtain the care and attention that fit its distinguished place
Al Der’eya is a city that makes the hearts flutter and the souls vibrate as it witnessed the biggest religious reformation movement in the Islamic world
The National Museum was founded to be a national distinguishing mark on an equal level with the Saudi Arabia Kingdom to participate in enriching the educational course, intellectual consciousness, and develop the noble belonging, and to act as an immortal epistle.
The exhibits varied to include antique pieces, documents, scripts, display panels, in addition to using the various trendy devices, besides the documentary and scientific films.
The museum is distinguished for its integrated exhibits, and contributing a serial theme from the beginning of the universe creation to the modern age, and its basic point is about the Arabian Peninsula. Each main hall of the museum is devoted to introduce an independent and integrated objective display; and the museum consists of eight main display halls, arranged in an accurate historical sequence, where the visitor can reach it according to an architectural design taking into consideration its chronological sequence
Al Janaderiya Is one of the biggest cultural festivals in the Arab World, and the most to attract visitors and participants. The festival is held in the period between Shawwal and Du El Uqda months every year, which means around month February. It had been fifteen continuous years since the launching of the festival and year after year it is gaining more brilliancy and success; and in year 1420 HIJRI, the fifteenth festival was held which was a huge celebration, and a continuous traditional and cultural wedding feast, which attracted thousands of visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom
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