The Qasr Al Hokm district is the center of old Riyadh. The city has been conducting a major redevelopment project of the entire area since 1976, of which two phases are complete and the third under way. Qasr Al Hokm encompasses the historic Masmak Fortress, seized by the future King Abdulaziz Al Saud when he retook Riyadh in 1902, as well as the rebuilt Great Mosque of Ar Riyadh, the Iman Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque, which can accommodate 17,000 worshippers. There are numerous squares and a palm lined park as well as the Governor’s Palace rebuilt in traditional style. Two of the city’s gates, Al Thumairi and Al Dukhna, were reconstructed under the project.

This is a place that bears a repeat visit as I’m sure we missed a lot of it, but it was 111 degrees F outside when we were there in mid-afternoon, and it would have been unthinkable to have been drinking water in public during Ramadan, so we couldn’t make as much progress as we would have liked. Interesting, but the heat wasn’t unbearable, even with a black abaya and headscarf, but I think the 10 additional degrees expected in summer might make such outings as this impossible. Still, I think this will be an ongoing gallery, when it gets cooler.