Saudi Arabia Landmarks

Best time to go to Saudi Arabia

The ideal time to visit Saudi Arabia is between November and February, when the summer heat is over. From mid-April to October there is high humidity in the coastal regions. It is noticeably milder all year round in the mountains and around Taif, which has made these places popular summer vacation regions. The Asir Mountains show their best side a little earlier and later than the rest of the country, often covered in fog in winter.

Islamic holidays are another important factor when deciding when to travel to Saudi Arabia. If you have a choice, you should definitely avoid Ramadan: it is difficult to find food during the day and opening hours are kept to a minimum. During the Haj pilgrimage, it is more difficult to find transportation and accommodation in the Hejaz region, and prices are increasing.

Saudi Arabia Sightseeing Places

Money

Currency: 1 Saudi rial equals 100 halalas

Currency abbreviation: SAR (ISO code), SR – ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG

Banknotes are in circulation of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 Saudi rials. Coins are used in amounts of 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 halalas.

Exchange rate:
October 2009
1 US dollar = 3.75 Saudi rial
1 euro = 5.51 Saudi rial
1 Swiss franc = 3.64 Saudi rial

Sightseeing

Saudi Arabia is a wonderful country that has a large number of different sights to offer its visitors.

One of the highlights is probably the Holy City of Mecca. Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed and is the most important Holy City of the Muslims. Every year it is an important pilgrimage destination for millions of Muslim pilgrims. The main places of pilgrimage in the old city are the Kaaba, the mountain of light, the plains of Arafat and the house of Abdullah Bin Abdul Muttalib. Important, only Muslims are allowed to enter Mecca.

Another important holy city for the Muslims is Medina. In the envoy’s mosque you can see the remains of the mosque at that time, as well as the remains of the Mohammed residence. Here, too, only Muslims are allowed to enter the city.

Saudi Arabia Landmarks

The old town of Jeddah is an absolute must. Especially the Ottoman merchant houses and the souk there should be seen.

Especially for Muslims, the holy mosque in Mecca with the seven minarets and the Kaaba is the absolute highlight of the sights of Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba are a central sanctuary of Islam. They are said to be the first church built by Adam. Already in the pre-Islamic period there was a sanctuary of the Bedouins. The current mosque was built in 1630 by Sultan Murat IV. The whole mosque is wrapped in black brocade annually. The black stone that Abraham is said to have received from Archangel Gabriel is said to be walled in in the south ceiling of the mosque.

An absolutely impressive building is Talf near Mecca. This is an earlier summer residence of the former rulers.
The salt mines of Abqaiq are also worth seeing. At this point, the salt has been mined for five hundred years. The Gasaba towers in the Asir Mountains should not be missed. Qaryat-al-Fau is also worth a visit. In the former caravan city there are important archaeological sites that can be visited as a tourist. Only the ruins of the ancient cities of Timna and Shiban can still be seen.

Madain Salih at Al-Ula is absolutely impressive. In the ancient rock tombs there are Aramaic rock writings more than two thousand years old. The Tamut rock inscriptions are more than five thousand years old. The landscape of Madain Salih is also very impressive. There are bizarre rock formations created by weathering.

Museum lovers should visit Al Masmak Palace in Riyadh. The Museum of State History is located here. There is an interesting park and adventure area around the building. There is also the water tower of Riyadh.

Also worth seeing in Riyadh are the Al-Thumairi, the old city walls.

Other interesting sights of Saudi Arabia are the palaces and mosque of the Al-Saud family and especially the old town of Riyadh. In the old town of Riyadh, one can admire the traditional construction of the clay architecture using mud houses.

Other interesting buildings in the country would be the Sahah Al Hukoom and Qasr-al-Hukm. This is a building that unites the Palace of Justice and the town hall.

The TV tower is also worth a visit. It is 170 meters high. You should also have seen the two high-rise buildings All Faisallah and Al Mamlaka. Both are more than 250 meters high.

The absolute highlight is the Towaiq palace in Riyadh. It can hardly be described because there are a multitude of different impressions to be experienced. So you’d better watch it yourself.

Saudi Arabia also has some national parks to offer. Some are an absolute diving paradise as there are wonderful beaches and a fantastic underwater world to explore.

Jeddah

Jeddah is located on the Red Sea in the west of Saudi Arabia (Hedscha province) and is an important port city.
Almost three million people live in Jeddah. In the world, the city is considered the gateway to Mecca, one of the religious centers of Islam.
Where the city got its name from has so far not been clarified. Many say that the name comes from the Arabic word Jadda, which means grandmother. According to Islamic belief, the tomb of Eva, the mother of humanity, is said to be in the city. The alleged grave was destroyed in 1975 when Muslim pilgrims prayed to Eve, which is a violation of the principle of belief according to the rules of Islam.

Jeddah became famous mainly through the Jeddah Agreement. The first agreement ended British colonial rule over Arabia. The second established the southern border of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s highest television

dream is in Jeddah. The tower is 250 meters high. The roof of the television tower has an area of ​​40.5 hectares and is considered the largest roof structure in the world. Some famous people come from Jeddah (both positive or negative celebrities). A viceroy of Egypt in the 19th century, Abbas I, came from Jeddah. The father of the infamous terrorist Osama bin Laden, Muhammad Bin Laden

, settled in Jeddah in 1931. Another celebrity from Jeddah is Majid Mohammed Abdullah, a Saudi Arabian soccer player.

Mecca

Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia. The city plays an important role especially for the followers of the Muslim faith. It is said that every Muslim should have been to Mecca at least once in their life. The city may only be entered by Muslims.

The Ka’bah is particularly important for pilgrims in Mecca. The Ka’bah is a cube-shaped house with the dimensions 12x10x15 meters. Every year a large number of Muslim believers make a pilgrimage to this impressive building. The direction of prayer for Islamic believers is determined by the Ka’bah. According to the Koran, the holy Ka’bah is the first house of God on earth.

There are enough special places to be found in the area of ​​Mecca. One of these is the small mountain Arafat, twenty-five kilometers from Mecca. According to the Bible, Abraham was said to have been willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael here. The Islamic preacher Mohammed is said to have delivered his last sermon here.
Mount Arafat is an important place for both Christians and Muslims.

Another place you should see is Jabal Al Noor. The holy place is not an important stop on a Muslim pilgrimage, but it has a strong religious meaning for the followers of Islam. The Her’aa Grotto can be found on the mountain. According to Muslims’ belief, the Koran is said to have been revealed to Mohammed for the first time.

In Mecca there are other special places like Mina or ZamZam.

Anyone visiting Mecca as a Muslim should of course also visit the Al-Masjid al-haram mosque visit. The mosque is the largest in the city. The Islamic church completely surrounds the Kabah. The Muslims believe that it is the holiest place for Muslims around the world.
The earlier construction of the mosque was a lot smaller than the current one. In the course of time, the sacral building was greatly expanded. It was only through the Ottomans that Al-Masjid al-haram got its current appearance. The marble facade is characteristic of the mighty mosque. The mosque has three floors, each of which can accommodate up to a thousand devout Muslims. The mosque also has air conditioning and elevators for its visitors. In the courtyard of the mosque there is another attraction of the city, the Zamzam fountain.

Mecca not only has religious offerings, but also some interesting and special buildings. Abraj Al Bait Towers is an absolute must. The towers are the tallest in the country and the most extensive buildings in the world.

A huge prayer hall is housed in the Abraj Al Bait Towers. Up to four thousand devout Muslims can find a place here. There is a five-star hotel and a four-story shopping center in the towers. If you want, you can rent living space here permanently.
Business travelers will be impressed by the conference center housed in the Abraj Al Bait Towers.

Riyadh

Riyadh, more precisely Ar-Riyad, is the capital of Saudi Arabia. The Hajar area used to be located in the place of Riyadh. It was built on the inflow of several rivers. The rivers have dried up over the centuries, leaving only wadis. The settlement at that time had extremely fertile soil, which made the settlement famous for its date palms and many orchards. The current riad was built in 1735 and was built on the ruins of Hajar.

Riyadh experienced an incredibly rapid development. In the eighteenth century, the capital of Saudi Arabia was only a small place. In the twentieth century, Riyadh grew into a huge city. Many impressive sights testify to the history of Riyadh.

The Saudi Arabian city has interesting neighborhoods and streets to offer. The Al Bathaa district is a must. It is the oldest part of the city. The Masmak Castle from the nineteenth century is also worth seeing. The Riyadh Museum of History and Archeology is also located in Al-Bathaa.

If you like shopping, Al-Dira is the place for you. This area is known for its wide range of commercial markets and old buildings that have been built in a traditional way. The most famous sights in this area include the famous Royal Palace and Al-Muequila.

Other riads you should see include the Al Khobar District, the Diplomatic Quarter, the Murabba District, the Olaya District, Qasr Al-Hukm, the Salahuddin District and the Street King Fahad.

There are plenty of special buildings to admire in Riyadh. The Al Faisallyah Center is one of the most interesting. It is the second tallest skyscraper in the country and is 279 meters high. The tower was inaugurated in 2000. AFC was the first skyscraper to be built in Saudi Arabia. The building was designed by the architecture firm Norman Foster and Partners.
In the skyscraper there is a restaurant where you can indulge in the local cuisine. There are also plenty of shopping opportunities. World-famous brands offer their goods here.

The Kingdom Center is definitely worth seeing. The impressive building is the symbol of the city and was built between 1999 and 2002. The building is the tallest in the country as it is 302 meters high. The building has a total of four entrances and a good fifty floors.

The Four Season hotel, offices, apartments and Al-Mamalaka are located in the Kingdom Center. Al-Mamlaka is a shopping center for women only. It is almost impossible to describe the impression when visiting the gigantic building, you should have seen it yourself.

The Riyadh Tower is also worth a visit. The tower is a television tower with a height of 170 meters and a viewing platform from which you have a wonderful view of the city.

A large number of old palaces can also be admired in Riyadh. The most beautiful is the Qasr Al-Hukm, the Palace of Justice. It is located in the quarter of the same name. There the governor meets the townspeople and listens to their problems or makes religious statements.
The Palace of Justice impresses its visitors above all with its architecture, a mixture of traditional construction and contemporary construction.

The Qasr al-Masmak is worth seeing. This is a fort from the nineteenth century and was the residence of the then ruling Al-Saud family. Years later the building fell to the opposing Al-Rashid family.
In 1902, Amir Abd Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Faisal Al Saud conquered the fortress from an exile in Kuwait. Today the museum of the city’s history is housed in the impressive palace.

The Towaiq Palace is also interesting. The building will be remembered for a long time simply because of the extremely contrasting appearance.

Museum lovers will also love Riyadh. The Antiquity Museum at King Saud University is a must. Other museums include the Historical Museum, the Museum of State History, the Museum of Saudi History, the National Museum and the Riyadh Museum of History and Archeology.

You don’t have to neglect the fine arts on a holiday in Riyadh. The King Fahd Cultur Center is located outside the city. The cultural center houses a planetarium, a museum, a library, a restaurant and three theaters. One of these theaters alone can accommodate up to three thousand people. The King Fahd Cultur Center has a total area of ​​10,000 square meters.

If you want to relax from long exploration tours, you have the opportunity to relax in one of the many parks. The most beautiful are the Al Maktaba Park, the Chambeer of Commerce Park and the Salam Park.