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Helen Betts | all galleries >> Saudi Arabia: Life in the Desert >> Riyadh's Masmak Fort > Masmak towers
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02-JUN-2016

Masmak towers

We saw Al-Masmak fort the first weekend we spent in Saudi Arabia, but were unable to go in because it was a “men only” day, and we never managed to get back on a “family only” day, probably because the hours are inconvenient and the traffic and parking a nightmare in the old part of Riyadh. But we still wanted to visit it before we leave on Sunday, and after consulting various websites in both English and Arabic, we determined that Thursday morning was for families, and we made the trip into town. We toured it – it was very nicely done and quite interesting, but when we were leaving saw the sign outside, which said Thursdays were for men only… The director had just let me in (thank goodness because this was our last chance to see it), but now I know why a large group of men were looking at me strangely, and in fact why they were even there without their wives.

The Masmak is a clay and mud-brick fort built in 1865, with four watchtowers and thick walls, founded on stone blocks, lying in the center of Riyadh, in the old quarter. This building played a major part in the kingdom's history, as it was here that the recapture of Riyadh, led by Ibn Saud, occurred on January 14, 1902. (after Wikipedia)

Palm reflections but no Sahraa, posted earlier:

Nikon D810 ,Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
1/250s f/10.0 at 32.0mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time02-Jun-2016 11:25:23
MakeNikon
ModelNIKON D810
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length32 mm
Exposure Time1/250 sec
Aperturef/10
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Mode
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Stephanie08-Jun-2016 12:01
Spectacular towers!!! Great compo! Vv
Buz Kiefer05-Jun-2016 17:51
Sturdy looking fort and great notes on this one too, Helen. Vote.
Zoltán Balogh05-Jun-2016 05:22
Superb compo! V
Tom LeRoy03-Jun-2016 15:53
Nice you had a chance to visit and get a great last shot, well done! V
Alexander Kazakov03-Jun-2016 11:27
Great! V
Gill Kopy03-Jun-2016 05:14
An amazing fort - are the holes in the walls for light ? Super shot V
Julie Oldfield03-Jun-2016 03:18
Excellent capture. The men add an excellent sense of scale and creates a lot of interest. V
Graeme02-Jun-2016 23:30
Looks almost like a giant sandcastle! V
Milan Vogrin02-Jun-2016 19:55
Look great! Nice angle too!V!
larose forest photos02-Jun-2016 19:36
How interesting. It almost looks like an elaborate (and big) sand castle. Superb shot. V
Gerard Koehl02-Jun-2016 18:41
Magnifique endroit. V
Patrick Goossens02-Jun-2016 18:27
I love these kind of forts. Great textures and colors.
joseantonio02-Jun-2016 18:21
looks impressive with this POV...V
Gary Hudes02-Jun-2016 18:09
Very impressive view of the fort with watchtowers, just like rooks spanning squares on a chess board. Nicely composed with the humans to add scale. V.
fotabug02-Jun-2016 18:06
Sure is an interesting looking place! I imagine it has quite a history! Funny story. I am glad no one tried to cause you trouble, not knowing how they are there. Also glad you got to see it. How long have you been over there now? Where are you going?
Jim Coffman02-Jun-2016 16:55
Looks like an amazing place, Helen! Glad he gave you a pass!!
chris morton02-Jun-2016 16:33
looksimpressive & well done braving the restrictions
David Lewins02-Jun-2016 16:05
Superb capture, the human interest is interesting too trying to work out what they are doing!Though it was children who enjoyed splashing in puddles! LOL
Long Bach Nguyen02-Jun-2016 16:01
beautifully capture and nice exposure control Helen