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Main article: Saudi Arabia

See also: Islamic architecture and Ottoman architecture

The Architecture of Saudi Arabia refers to the architecture and the historical structures practiced in the country. Many Muslims dynasties have ruled the country since the establishment of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the early 7th century. The two main regions in Saudi Arabia, Najd and Al Hejaz, had developed different architecture styles depending on their geographical locations. In Najd, the central desert region of the Arabian Peninsula, the houses consisted of two floors constructed from mud, bricks, and stone. The western province, Hejaz, was under the control of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1918. Consequently, the architecture of buildings was inspired mostly from the Ottoman architecture. The district has what is considered to be the holiest mosques on earth to Muslims in Makkah and Madinah, which lead the region to develop Islamic architecture and decoration for these mosques. In 1932, the kingdom founder, King Abdulaziz united the two areas with their dependencies under the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first skyscraper was built in 2000, and other notable architects were developed including Kingdom Centre,  Al Faisaliyah Center, and Abraj Al-Bait.

Historical Architecture

Historical Architecture refers to the architecture developed before 1932, some of which may relate to other empire ruled before al Saud.

Nejd Province (Riyadh)

Al Diriyah.

Diriyah

Al Diriyah is a small historical oasis in Riyadh, which is the capital of Saudi Arabia. In the 12th and 13th century, Al Diriyah played an essential rule in linking the Arabian Peninsula from west to east in managing the pilgrimage route for Muslims to go to Makkah. The houses are mainly two or more floors with a courtyard in the middle. The historical oasis was constructed using basic materials: mud, stones and palm tree trunks for the roofs.

Al-Turaif District

Al-Turaif District in Al Diriyah founded in the 15th century. It was announced as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. The mud-brick structures of the district were built in Najdi architectural style. Tourists can see the remains of palaces and the old civilization along the edge of an oasis.

Hejaz Province

Traditional house in Historic Jeddah.

Historic Jeddah

Historic Jeddah - the Gate to Makkah located on the eastern shore of the Red Sea in Makka region, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. In the 7th century, the city has been associated with the annual Muslim pilgrimage which gave Historic Jeddah international popularity among all Muslims around the world. The town is a multicultural center which affects the architectural character of its building. The buildings were constructed using local materials such as coral stone, silt clay, and palm wood, which gave Hejaz a unique characteristic when it came to colours and textures. The strongest influence on architecture appears to be from the Ottoman, who ruled the Hejaz region from 1517 to 1918.

Mada'in Saleh.

Mada'in Saleh

Mada'in Saleh or Al-Hijr is a historical site located within Al Madinah region. The name Mada'in Saleh assigned to the pre-Islamic prophet Saleh. The influence on architectural decoration refers to different cultures such as Assyrian, Egyptian, Phoenician, and Hellenistic. Mada'in Saleh presents veracity of languages directly cut into the rocks such as Lihyanite, Thamudic, Nabataean, Greek, and Latin.

Islamic Architecture

Islamic Architecture assigned to the architecture developed by Muslims since the establishment of Islam. Those sites were renovated throughout the centuries by many Muslims empires ruled the Arabian Peninsula.

Kaaba

Kabba is a small building located in the center of the most important mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Ḥaram (The Great Mosque of Mecca). Muslims orient themselves toward the Qibla, which is the direction of Kaaba during their prayers. The Kaaba was built before the establishment of Islam. According to the Quran, Muslims believe that the prophet Abraham and his son, Ishmael, constructed the Kaaba which has been destroyed, damaged, and subsequently rebuilt several times. The Kaaba has a cubic shape of around 15 meters high and about 10 by 14 meters at its base. It is made with gray stone and marble. Inside the Kabba, there are three pillars that support the root which is surrounded by silver and gold lamps. In 1982, the door of the Kaaba was replaced by a solid gold door. The clothing of the Kabba called the Kiswah, is replaced yearly by the Saudi government and costs around 17 million SR. The Kiswah is made from pure silk of 47 meters in length with Quranic verses in Islamic calligraphy inscribed on it using gold leaf for embossing.

Al-Masjid Al-Haram

Kaaba in the centre of Al-Masjid Al-Haram.

The Great Mosque of Mecca, also known as Al Masjid Al Haram, receives millions of Muslims yearly to make the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. The mosque contains the Kaaba, a Maqam Ibrahim, and the black stone of Makkah. There are two small hills in the mosque called Al-Safa and Al-Marwa. The mosque was rebuilt several times during the in the Ottoman era in the 14th century. In the 20th century. The Saudi royal family constructed expansion projects for the mosque which included modern and advanced communications system such as air-conditioning and trains. The holy Mosque can accommodate 1.5 million worshippers. Now, it is considered to be the biggest mosque and ranked as the most expensive building in the world.

Al-Masjid An-Nabawi

Al-Masjid An-Nabawi.

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi refers to the Islamic prophet Mohammed who built it. It is considered as an example of late Islamic architecture. The original mosque made by the prophet was connected to his house using a roofed shelter supported by pillars made of palm trunks. The prophet had a Minbar raised above the worshippers which was used to announce new laws, political, judicial and religious functions. The most notable repair of the mosque throughout the centuries was in the Ottoman era. The number of columns in the entire mosque reached 327 covered by gold, as well as changing the floor entirely to marble. The most massive expansion and renovation in history for the prophet’s mosque took place between1984-1994 by the Saudi government. From the project, the capacity of the site increased to 650,000 worshippers at the same time. The prophet’s mosque has 10 Minarets and 43 gates, each marked with a verse from the Quran. It also has a different section such as the Hujra al-Sadah where the prophet died and buried, Mihrab, Minarets: and the Minbar.

Modern Architecture

Kingdom Centre.

Modern Architecture is the new architectural style and design due to the economic growth that begins during the rule of al Saud family.

Kingdom Centre

This is the third tallest building in Saudi Arabia located in Riyadh with a unique design chosen as an iconic symbol of the capital city. This skyscraper is 302m tall, which is the same hight as Eiffel Tower. The tower is designed in an elliptical shape with a top curve open of 70 meters long. Richard Tenguerian designed the tower which is owned by the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The tower has high-speed elevators traveling at 180 km/h, which visitors take to reach the viewpoint on the 99th floor.

Abraj Al-Bait Towers.

Abraj Al-Bait

Abraj Al Bait or Mekkah Clock Tower refers to the clock tower in the middle of the complex. It is officially the tallest clock tower at 1,972 feet tall and the third tallest tower worldwide. The tower located in Mekkah is surrounded by Al-Masjid Al-Haram and stands 50 meters away from Muslim’s holiest site Kaaba. Abraj Al Bait was created by Dar Al-Handasah, an architecture from Lebanon, using typical Islamic elements.