Pilgrims Cast Stones at Jamarat on Third Day of Tashreeq, Bid Farewell to Mina
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Saudi Press
2 days ago
- Saudi Press
Over 500,000 Palm Trees in Najran Supply Local Market with Finest Dates
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Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Al-Masmak Palace Museum tells story of Saudi unification
RIYADH: Located in the Al-Thumairi neighborhood, Al-Masmak Palace Museum stands as a powerful symbol of Saudi Arabia's unification and its founding era under King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud. The fort was originally built in 1865 during the reign of Imam Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud. On the morning of Jan. 15, 1902), King Abdulaziz Al-Saud recaptured Riyadh from within its walls, marking the beginning of the Kingdom's unification. The fort was used to store weapons and ammunition before being restored as a historic and cultural monument. Al-Masmak spans 3,885 sq. meters and is constructed from clay mixed with straw, with a stone foundation. Its exterior walls are plastered with clay, while gypsum decorates the interior. The building has two floors and around 44 rooms, including six courtyards, a mosque, majlis (traditional sitting room), a water well and three residential wings for the ruler, the treasury and guests. It features a western gate made of palm and tamarisk trunks which stands 3.6 meters high and 2.65 meters wide. A smaller opening, the khooqah, is built into the gate for controlled access. Surveillance points were also designed as protruding wall openings resembling wooden boxes. Inside, geometric plasterwork in triangles and circles is inspired by nature, with motifs such as palm trees, stars and crescents. The palace also includes four corner towers for defense, an interior mosque with a mihrab, a square observation tower called Al-Murabba, and various decorative and structural elements consistent with Najdi architectural styles. In 1979, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, then governor of Riyadh region, directed that the fort be preserved and restored as a national landmark. The site was handed over to the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in 1983. Under royal directive, Al-Masmak became a museum narrating the story of the Kingdom's founding which officially opened on June 11, 1995. There are sections such as Al-Masmak Conquest Hall, which recounts a historic battle and features old maps, weapons and rare photographs. The audiovisual hall shows a documentary in two languages, while the Pioneers Hall honors the men who helped recapture Riyadh. The Historical Riyadh Hall documents the city's development through maps and historical photos. Other exhibition areas include the Well Courtyard, displaying traditional tools and cannons used by the army. Al-Masmak Fort Hall has models and information panels, and Al-Masmak Usage Hall presents the fort's evolving roles. Display cases throughout the museum feature artifacts such as traditional weapons, garments and construction tools, giving visitors a glimpse into the Kingdom's cultural journey. Today, Al-Masmak continues its mission under the Ministry of Culture and Museums Commission, following extensive modernization and efforts. It remains a vital educational and national landmark, preserving and presenting one of the Kingdom's most defining moments.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
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UN says will try to help all starving people in Gaza after Israel allows aid in
The United Nations said it would try to reach as many starving people as possible in Gaza after Israel announced it would establish secure land routes for humanitarian convoys. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip for almost three months. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher said the United Nations would try to reach 'as many starving people as we can' in the time window. Israel on Sunday began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle the deepening hunger crisis. 'We welcome Israel's decision to support a one-week scale-up of aid, including lifting customs barriers on food, medicine and fuel from Egypt and the reported designation of secure routes for UN humanitarian convoys,' Fletcher said in a statement. Fletcher said some movement restrictions appeared to have been eased on Sunday, citing initial reports indicating that over 100 truckloads of aid were collected. 'But we need sustained action, and fast, including quicker clearances for convoys going to the crossing and dispatching into Gaza; multiple trips per day to the crossings so we and our partners can pick up the cargo; safe routes that avoid crowded areas; and no more attacks on people gathering for food.' The UN aid chief said the world was calling out for life-saving humanitarian assistance to get through -- but stressed that 'vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis.' 'Ultimately of course we don't just need a pause -- we need a permanent ceasefire,' he added. No shootings near convoys pledge WFP said the pauses and corridors should allow emergency food to be safely delivered. 'Food aid is the only real way for most people inside Gaza to eat,' it said in a statement. It said a third of the population had not been eating for days, and 470,000 people in Gaza 'are enduring famine-like conditions' that were leading to deaths. WFP said more than 62,000 tons of food assistance was needed monthly to cover the entire Gaza population of two million. The agency noted that, on top of Sunday's 'pause' announcement, Israel had pledged to allow more trucks to enter Gaza with quicker clearances along with 'assurances of no armed forces or shootings near convoys.' 'Together, we hope these measures will allow for a surge in urgently needed food assistance to reach hungry people without further delays,' it said. 'Dystopian landscape' UN rights chief Volker Turk said Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, was obliged to ensure sufficient food was provided to the population. 'Children are starving and dying in front of our eyes. Gaza is a dystopian landscape of deadly attacks and total destruction,' he said in a statement. He criticised a US- and Israel-backed outfit, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), that in late May began distributing foodstuffs when UN-organized efforts were blocked. Turk said the GHF's 'chaotic, militarized distribution sites were 'failing utterly to deliver humanitarian aid at the scope and scale needed.' His office says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the GHF started operations -- nearly three-quarters of them in the vicinity of GHF sites.
