al-turaif bath and its annexes-dirriyah

8/14/2019 Al-turaif Bath and Its Annexes-dirriyah

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AI-Turaif Quarter - Dirriyah


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A Project for Documentation and Restorationof the old Dirriyah City

The Assistant Deputy Ministry of Antiquities and Museums paid utmost care and attention to

the restoration and revovation of the old city of Dirriyah which was once the focal point and

political center of Na jd where the first Saudi Dynasty was established. The rulers of this city

first embraced and welcome the call for the purification of Islam and spread it all over the

Arabian Peninsula. AI-Dirriyah is located in the northwest of the city of Riyadh where its

ruins remind us the glory of its past and the chivalary of its ancestors. A history o,fthree

hundred years can be witnessed in its ruins.

The interest of the Assistant Deputy Ministry of Antiquities and Museums is manifested in its

adoptation of a project for the documentation and restoration of the old city of Dirriyah and

its renovation to bring it to its original shape and form. On the completion of this project, the

visitor to Dirriyah will find himself in a strange surrounding of 17th century environment

where old traditional buildings with their cultural and ethnographical remains will be quite

different from the present 20th century modern town and cities.

Dirriyah was once the political, cultural and economic center of Najd. It's ruins remind us of

its past glory and dignity and it will be restored to preserve our old cultural and traditional

elements.


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In 1393 A.H. a Royal Decree was issued for the protection and restoration of the old city of

Dirriyah.The first work started with the evacuation of AI-Turaif Quarters. It was a difficult and

time consuming work as the local residents and the disputes among the heirs of the lands

could not be resolved easily. However, the old district was finally evacuated,and the owners

were financially compensated. Meanwhile, the Assistant Deputy Ministry of Antiquities and

Museums started surveying the site. Technical and specialised researches were conducted

to assist the specialists in the rebuilding and restoration of the ruins of Dirriyah. Surveyorsassisted in making a comprehensive study and prepared plans of all the houses,palaces,

walls, watch towers, mosques, market places and baths etc. Prior to the begenning of

restoration some experiments were performed to choose the most suitable material

particularly for the restoration of mud brick houses and mud plastering of the walls etc.

Special material was applied to face the erosion and local environmental conditions.

The restoration and renovation was started after the inital studies and researches and the

selection of the right material for the buildings.

A number of buildings with popular and unique architectural desgins have been recorded

and their details were documented some of them are restored and renovated such as

Nasser bin Saud Palace. While excavations were carried out in Saed Mosque, Beit al-Ma'al

and the mosque was partly restored in 1400 A.H. In 1403 A.H the Salwa Palace and Beit al-

Ma'al (Treasury building); Saed Palace, AI-Turaif Bath, Thaniyan Palace; the walls and

towers of AI-Turaif quarter were documented and specifications were made for their

restorations. In 1405 A.H the walls and towers of old Dirriyah and the annexes of Salwa

Palace, Abdullah bin Saud Palace and an the extension of AI-Turaif Bath were excavated,

documented and recorded and plans were prepared for their restoration. At the same time

the walls and towers of AI-Turaif Quarters and the palace of Saed bin Saud were restored

recently.


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Studies and plans were made for the building of the cultural centre near the historic area in

Dirriyah. The centre will include a library which shall contain the scientific reports, the

documented records, and all information related to the project. In addition, there will be

reports, and researches on the city of Dirriyah in particular. The cultural centre proj~ct

includes, sound and light system which will show the visitor the history of the old city which

played an important role in the history of our beloved country.


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KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

ASSIST ANT DEPUTY MINISTRY FOR

ANTIQUITIES AND MUSEUM AFFAIRS

A L - T U R AIF B A T H A N D IT S A N N E XE S

AI-Turaif Quarter, AI-Dirriyah


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Palace of Salwa

2. MosqueofAI-Turaif

3. Betalmaal (Treasure House)

4. Mosque and Soubalat Mudhi

5. Palace of Fahd ben Saoud

6. Palace of Ibrahim ben Saoud

7. Palace of Abdullah ben Saoud8. Palace of Turkey ben Saoud

9. Palace of Thanlan ben Saoud

10. Palace of Mushary ben Saoud

11. Bath of AI-Turai f

12. Guest House

13. Palace of Naser ben Saoud

14. Palace of Saad ben Saoud

15. Wall of AI-Turalf

16. Defense Tower

17. Tower of Faisal

18. Palace of Farhan ben Saoud

19. Mosque of Saad

20. Palace of Umar ben Saoud21. Office of General Department

of Antiquities and Museums

22. Restored Well

23. Palace of Chief Mason

24. Mosque of Abdul-Wahab

25. Burial Ground of AI- Tura if


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A L - T U R A IF B A TH A N D I T S A N N E X E SAI-Turaif Quarter, AI-Dirriyah

AI-Diriyah lies in the middle of Wadi Hanifah, 15 km. N-W of ai-Riyadh City. According

to historians and biographers, it was greatly fertile, with sufficient products and good

crops. It was a vast green oasis with so many palm-trees, farms and gardens, everywhere

clad in an ever-fresh green attire, besides its wells and springs. Hence its richness in

agricultural crops and animal production.

The history of al-Diriyah begins in mid-ninth century A.H., and more precisely in 850

A.H. (1446 A.D.) when Mani ibn Rabiah al-Moridi came to it from the town of al-Doru

al-Kadimah ("Ancient Doru") also known as al-Diriyah, al-Katif district, accompanied

by his son Rabiah, to see his cousin ibn Dir, the Chief of al Doru, the inhabitants of

Wadi Hanifah, who had the upper hand in that region; he granted him an area between

al-Mulaybid and Ghasiba in the middle of Wadi Hanifah. Mani'e, together with his offspr-

ing, inhabited that area; they became influential, possessing many mansions and exten-

sive farms, and became Emirs of that region. Then, with the advent of Sheikh Muhammad

ibn Abd el-Wahab to al-Diriyah, the spiritual force was unified with the ruling authority

of the Emirs of the First State of AI-Saud. The different Emirates of Nadjd, then the

various Emirates of Arabia became, some willingly, others forcibly, their subjects. The

City of al-Diriyah has ruled those provinces and Emirates, hence the greatness of itsreligious influence, and subsequently its military and political dominance. Consequently

the economic resources of al-Diriyah increased so greatly that its Treasury annually


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obtained over two million riyals from the income of the zakat (Islamic income tax) only,

not including the innumerable spoils taken by its victorious armies, and the income of

the agricultural and animal wealth. All this had a great effect on the development of

architecture at the five quarters of the City of al-Diriyah, and especially the inhabited

quarter of the Imams and Emirs of AI-Saud, namely the al-Turaif-quarter. They built

walls, towers and forts around it, extending 13 km; it enjoyed a fortified position on the

high hills separating the wadis, (valleys) abounding in wells filled with water in the

rain-season.

AI-Diriyah reached its apogee and greatest power during the reign of ai-Imam Abd

el-Aziz bin Muhammad bin Saud, 1179-1218 A.H. (1765-1803 A.D.) He reigned about

forty years. During that period, he promoted both the dawah call and the State; he

conquered ai-Riyadh and most of the towns of Arabia, and seucrity and prosperity

prevailed everywhere. Yet he was an ascetic.

During the reign of ai-Imam Saud bin Abd el-Aziz (Saud the Great), 1218-1229 A.H.

(1803-1814 A.D.), al-Diriyah attained its greatest strength and enjoyed material prosper-

ity; it was then the "Golden Era" of the City of AI-Diriyah. Therefore, its ~mirs and elite

could erect edifices for habitation and religious purposes. The Imam was keen on

cleanliness. Thanks to the strong economy and great opulence, and the money sent by

the emirs of the provinces and the chieftains, ai-Imam Saud thought of building architec-

tural and cultural constructions, which would never have been possible without plenty

of money, political aswell as social stability, and a high standard of culture and civilization.


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During, or just before that period, the Bath of al-Turaif Quarter was built, together with its

annexes. These included habitation buildings as guest houses for the notables coming to al-

Dirriyah. Although al-Dirriyah was, in its glorious past, a lighthouse of the reformist government

and political and military magnanimity, it is still, in its happy present. surrounded by palm-trees

and fresh green plants. It also embraces - thanks be to Almighty - the University of King Saud

standing along with the historical edifices which are now in the care of the Assistant Deputy

Ministry of Antiquities and Museums. The Administration registers and restores them, so that

al-Dirriyah may remain a cultural lighthouse at present, just as it had a great, honorable past.

Baths are cultural constructions which reflect the great care for the human body, and

its presence proves a comprehensive architectural rise.

Baths were used as places fOr natural treatment from many diseases. They also give a

human body health, activity and cleanliness; our religion emphasizes cleanliness, and

one of the honorable traditions (or "hadiths"), says "Cleanliness is from faith". They

were likewise used as places for training and physical exercises. In them, social, political

and welfare meetings were held, and commercial deals were concluded. All this givesa bath a great and prominent position in various cultural activities, hygienically, socially,

culturally and physically.


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The history of building rooms in one single edifice for the purpose of bathing is as old

as civilization itself. Such buildings were built in Pharaonic times in Egypt, they afterwards

appeared in the Aegean civilized world where remains of baths were found in the palaces

of Cnossos and Tiryns, which go back to the Bronze Age (3000-1200 B.C.); they might

have been the oldest constructions.

Greek baths consisted of several parts supplied with hot water, a shower and diving-

places. Such constructions were characterized by luxury, splendour and multifarious

decorations. The hot room was covered with a dome, and there were seats and mastabas

for those who wished to sit and relax in the warm room. The Greeks invented the way

of heating floors by putting ovens under the floor of the hot room; the hot air passed

through the roofed passages underneath the floors of the rooms. There were openings

in those passages to supply the rooms with hot air. Baths functioned in that way till

early Islamic times.

From the Greeks, the Romans adopted the circular plan with large domes to cover large

areas, such as the Baths of Caracalla. These are a true copy - with just little modifications

- of the Hellenic architectural plans. The Roman bath was subject to a stable plan

based on three main units, i.e. three halls - cold, warm and hot. A door or a passage

led to one of the halls.

In the cold hall, or "frigidarium", all sorts of physical exercises are practised. It contains

large basins for bathing, and small basins for washing at the end of the physical exercises.

The warm hall, or "tepidarium", has a medium temperature, and is shaped as a large ves-

tibule representing the centre of the bath, or a 'wide saloon', a place for stay, entertainment,

discussions and rest for a long time.


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The hot hall, the most important part of the bath, is called the "caldarium"; under thehall there are the underground heating-rooms and their passages which are designed

in such a way as to allow hot currents of air to run through the passages.

A cloak-, or dressing-room and a reading-room are added to the bath, to be surrounded

by a large empty space.

Through these two civilizations, the Greek and the Roman, baths spread in the provinces

and towns under their Roman rule and influence, such as Egypt and Syria, the latter of

which still keeps a number of them. One notices that they bear local effects, taste and

artistic inclinations; in those countries local artists were free to deal with plans, elements

and details. The effect of climate and atmospheric factors induced the Syrian architect

to modify certain parts of the bath. Some parts proved more important than other parts

in the Roman Empire.

Such changes appeared as a first step towards Oriental self-expression in the plan of

the bath of "Roman Sargalah" in Syria. This bath is considered the first model to show

the planning of Oriental baths. It reveals keen interest in the cloak-room, as it was

enlarged and divided, by means of arches, into areas covered with semi-circular vaults;

the walls werre decorated with mosaic scenes depicting victories in wars.

After that, such a hall with various scenes, resembling a "splendid saloon", appeared

in the sitting-room of the bath of Kosair Amra in Syria, too. Yet this bath and that of

al-Sarakh belong to the Islamic period.


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The first Oriental bath in Syria is again characterized by the stylization of the different

parts of the Roman bath so that they may suit the Oriental nature and the general

atmosphere. It is noticeable that the hot-room temperature is caused by the hot vapour

coming out from the water-basins. There are no more rooms for dry heating or under-

ground passages as in the Roman bath. It is here that cooling and refreshing and the

emission of sweat caused by the hot water and its vapour are sought, and not dry heat

as in the Roman bath.

Creswell, K.A.C., attributes two other baths in Syria, namely Abda and Rohaibah, to the

sixth century.

In the palace of Kherbet el-Mafghar (five kilometers north of Jerico, "Arrha") there is a

bath outside the palace, built especially for its owner and his retinue. (The purpose of

its construction is probably the same as that of the Turkish bath, its extensions and

annexes at the al-Turaif-Quarter in the City of al-Diriyah). This bath is characterized by

its vastness and multitude of domes in the ceilings. The bath built for its owner and his

following, contains many domes and arches supported by columns. The floor is coverred

with mosaics bearing floral as well as animal decorations. The walls of the rooms are

decorated with floral and geometrical designs in stucco-relief. The roofs over the entr-

ances are adorned with hollow plaster. Moreover, there are other ornaments and statues.


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Baths were common in all parts of the ancient world. They were also built in Arabian

and Islamic countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Persia and Arabian lands. One should mention

the bath of the Palace (Kasr) of Ibrahim in the town of Hofuf in the Ahsa region, the

Hijaz baths, especially those of Makkah al-Musharrafah and ai-Medinah al-Munawwarah,

and our bath and its annexes at the al-Turaif-Quarter in the City of al-Diriyah. There are

so many other baths in the different Arab countries, and everywhere in the Islamic world

as well.

Baths allover the Arab and Islamic countries took part in connubial processions, mar-

riage-feasts and circumcision events. In so many cases processions were accompanied

with music and drumbeats. The bath has for a long time become medically important,

thus contributing to the preservation of Islamic society and the promotion of its general

hygienic level; this is due to its association with washing, purification and cleanliness.

Whenever a person feels a little painful, weak or weary, or suffers from dryness of skin,

he frequents the bath. Yet in the case of certain diseases, a physician may recommend

to his patient taking a bath of hot vapour and hot flowing water. He also advises him

to massage the painful areas and rub them with certain ointments which may soon beabsorbed by the skin to open the pores during the bath. Among such diseases, one

mentions rheumatism, arthritis, severe cold and certain skin diseases.

It is preferable for one to take a bath some time after a meal for the sake of digestion.

One should also move from the hot rooms to the warm room and then to the cold room

successively, thus to be safe and avoid being inflicted with acute cold ending in

pneumonia.


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12.

1. OPEN COURTYARD

2. ENTRANCE TO BATH AND ANNEXES

3. RECEPTION ROOM (COLD ROOM)

4. ANTI-CHAMBER (WARM ROOM)

5. HOT ROOM

6. BATH OPEN COURTYARD

7. STORAGE AREA FOR WOOD FIRE FURNACE

8. STEPS RAMP LEADING TO WELL

9. TO THE WELL

10. OPEN COURT

11. STORAGE

12. KITCHEN

13. DINING ROOM

14. TOILET & BATH

15. ROOM

16. ROOM

17. MAIN EASTERN ENTRANCE

18. ENTRANCE

19. GUEST ROOM

20. OPEN COURT

21. STORAGE

22. SERVICE ROOM

23. STAIRCASE (LATER ADDITION)


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The Bath at the al- Turaif-Quarter,Its Extensions and AnnexesWe have briefly given a history of the rise of baths both in ancient Greece and in the

Roman world, and shown how they led to the building of baths in the different parts of

the Islamic world. Then a resume of the rise of baths in Syria has followed, since the

Turkish bath at the al- Turaif-Quarter was more influenced by Syrian baths in its plan

and various units.

The bath and its annexes lie north of a spur of Sha'ib Safar, from where the clay and

stones were taken for the buildings of al- Turaif and where there is an oval-shaped well

which used to supply the bath and its annexes with water; the water was carried on

donkey back along a road of natural rock, north of the plateau, t o the W. door of the

bath. The water drains ran through canals dug in the rock. The natural sloping of the

floors of the bath and its annexes towards the plateau from north to south helped the

flowing of the water in the canals.

The buildings of the bath and its annexes have a large, open court nearly a thousand

square metres in area. It is surrounded by a wall nearly four metres high. Its main

entrance door is to the east of the north wall, leading to the chief common entrance of

both bath and annexes. To the west of this entrance, there is the entrance to the main

reception-room (the cold room) of the bath; it is a large room surrounded by mastabasall covered with plaster. It serves as a cold room which is first entered by a visitor of

the bath; the mastabas are used for rest and relaxation for a long time, and for sitting

to merrymake, discuss various affairs and have drinks. At the N.-W. corner, there is a

basin of cold water, with a drain opening through which water flows used for ablution


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and the removal of sweat at the close of physical exercises. In the S. wall of this room,

there are four small cupboards two with horizontal lintels of tamaresk wood and two

with pointed arches as lintel. It had wooden door-leaves and shelves for valuables to

be left by the bather there before entering to take a bath. In this room, the controller of

the bath was always present. (There were similar mastabas for the same purposes in

the ancient Greek baths). This room has two small windows in the N. and W. walls. In

the S. wall there are two niches with five-centred arches, and above them, there is a

number of triangles arranged in horizontal rows, some of them in vertical rows. Some

of them are pyramidal in beautiful geometrical shape, used for venti ration and lightening,and as a decorative motif beautifying the room, and making it more suitable for the

purpose for which it was built. In the centre of the room, there are two columns, and

there is a third column in the middle of the E., wall of the room, all of them being on

one and the same axis. They are composed of drums of stone cylindrical in shape

roughly dressed with flat sides.

The walls of this room are two metres high, plastered together with its floor, with lime.This shows the interest taken in this room and its importance among the units of the

bath. In the W. wall of this room, there is a door leading to a corridor whose floor is 50

cm. lower than that of the cold room, and so the architect joined the two levels by

building a flight of three steps. The corridor leads to the warm room whose floor is two

steps lower than that of the corridor. In this room, clothes are taken off and kept until

the bather comes back to put them on again. This room is nearly square in shape.

Beside the W.,N. and S. walls of the room, there are mastabas used by the bathers for


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sitting, rest, relaxation, merrymaking or talking. Above the mastaba (W.), there is a flight

of three steps leading to the cloak-room which cannot be seen by those sitting. in thatroom. In the centre of this room, stand two columns composed of stone drums. The

walls of the room and the mastabas are daubed with mud superimposed by plaster.

Then the bather passes through the warm corridor which is 1.20 m. w'ide. This corridor

is in the shape of a right angle, with a ceiling less high than the ceilings of the neighbouring

rooms. The corridor leads to the hot room, which is the most important part of the bath.

There, one takes a bath, is exposed to vapour and treated of rheumatism and, in

particular, cold, in addition to cleanliness. This room, in the bath of the al-Turaif-Quarter,

is square in shape, with thick walls supporting at the end of their square corners spherical

triangle-pendentives to convert the square plan into an octagon to facilitate the buildings

of the done over it. In our studies of baths from the very beginning, i.e. in the Graeco-

Roman period, and baths of Oriental type in Arab and Islamic countries, we have found

that the hot room in them has been covered with a dome, whether big or small according

to the size of its area. The walls of this room are thick, built of stone, so that they cansupport the dome built over them. The hot room is separated from the ovens carefully

built of plastered bricks by a door with a pointed arch. The floor of the ovens

is 1.20 m. lower than that of the hot room. The dome was built of bricks, too. Brick is

one of the materials rarely employed in the buildings of the Central Region, with it mortar

of plaster is used in building. As to the buildings of ovens still extant till now, the style

of their construction shows exactness and skill. Above the ovens in the hot room, there

is a bathtub or diving-basin whose original sides are over one metre higher than the

floor of the room E. of the basin, there is a flight of steps which were used by the bathers

going down into the diving-basin. The bath tub was first built as. a basin with


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sides 50 m. high, then the height of the sides had been increased so that the basin

could be a diving basin. In the north of the room, there is another basin whose sidesare 30 cm. high above the floor of the room. The sides and bottom of this basin are

covered with hardly porous lime mortar. It is believed that the basin was used for washing

towels, after the bathers had finished taking, their bath. Above the basin, one sees the

opening of a pipe which brought water into the basin directly from the main cistern.

Behind the N. wall, there is the water cistern; two pottery (clay) pipes start from the

cistern, one to feed the cold water tank at the N-W corner of the hot room, and thewater ran through the second pipe to the heated tank placed between the fireplace and

the bath tub, passing through the west wall and then bending t o the east. Having taken

a bath, and massaged, the bather leaves the hot room and goes to the warm room to

put on his clothes and rest there for a short or long time according as he wishes, until

his body has got used to the temperature of the warm room. Then he goes to the cold

room (the main reception-room) to resume his rest and adapt himself to the surrounding

atmosphere. He may have some drinks, chat or receive advice from those present withhim in the room about different affairs until he leaves the bath.

Preceding the warm room and the hot room, an open court with a surface area nearby

200 metres square2

has the cistern at the south side, two drinking basins for animals

at the east side, and a small washing basin immediately to the W. of the cistern where

towels and dresses were washed. The water used in washing would run along a canal,

partly cut in the rocks and partly built up, sloping down to the spur, and passing through

a drainage hole in the south wall.


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I f we leave the entrance of the cold room (the reception-room) and go from the N. entra-

nce southwards,we shall find the entrance of the annexes. This entrance leads to an open

court surrounded by eight stone columns composed of cylindrical drums surmounted

by capitals supporting the main trunks which carry the canopy-shed in the court, while

their other end is carried on the walls surrounding the court. In the court, there are six

rooms with the W. room standing along the court. This room is two metres wide at themost, with a number of triangular openings, eighteen in number, in the upper part of

its facade, in one single horizontal line, for the purpose of lightening, ventilation and

decoration. Below, there are three niches with triangular arches. In the N. wall, one sees

a number of triangular openings, their bases being on the same level as those in the N.

wall of the room. As for the other two walls, triangular openings and niches are lacking.

The level of the ground of the court is 51 cm. lower than the level of the N. entrance,

with a flight of three steps leading down to it. If one goes southwards to the valley, one

will find the S.-W. room. The floor of this room and those of the two neighboring rooms

to the east also looking over the valley, are 50 cm. lower than the ground of the court

lying in front of them to the north. In the centre of W. room, there are the remains of

two stone columns each composed of stone drums. Between the remains of the W.

column and the N. wall, one sees a mud-brick partition-wall. The S. wall was built on

the slope of the plateau. The foundation was built with regularly-cut stone blocks, andwas five metres high up to the level of the south rooms. In its S. and N. walls, there are

triangular openings whose bases appear in one horizontal line, used for lightening and

ventilation and as well-decorations as well.


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The central room looks over the valley, too, and in its centre stands a column of stone

drums surmounted by a capital to support the trunks which rest on the capitals on one

side and on the other lie on abacuses placed under them to distribute their weight

on the mud-brick walls carrying them. In it, one also sees triangular apertures arranged

in one horizontal line. To the east of the building, a large room looks over the valley,

too. In it,four columns support the ceiling, a fifth column was probably set up there to

hang the water skin (Ar.Garbah). A mud-brick partition-wall stands between the

N. wall and N.-W. column in the room. The room might have been used as a kitchen,

and also a lavatory in the south-west of it, where once a big fire broke out, as its tracesare still visible on the walls. To the east of the court referred to by No.1 09 in the plan,

there is an oblong room with an oblique cracked column. In its facade facing the court,

there are three rectangular openings with their bases placed on one horizontal line. All

the parts of this room are cracked. To the north of the court there is a roughly-square

room with a column in its centre; and opposite to it, on its axis, stands another column

in the middle of the E. wall to support the ceiling of the room. In the E. wall of the room,

there is a doorway between the habitation-building and the social, cultural buildings,

and near it, to the north, in the same wall there is a cupboard. The cupboard is

1.21 m. high, and contains two shelves: one at a height of 40 em., the other at a height

of 30 em. above it. The cupboard has a pointed arch, and its walls are plastered with

a layer of lime. Inthe N. walls of this room, one sees triangular apertures in one horizontal

line. In the W. wall, there is a group of triangles composed of three units of pyramidal

groups, each consisting of three triangles. The first group is separated from the secondone by means of two triangles put in one vertical line and on one axis. Underneath the

second pyramidal group, there is a similarly high triangle.


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It is a very large open court surrounded by columns; fourteen columns support a large

canopy shed. There are only two small rooms in that building, unsuitable for habitation.

They are merely suitable for storage. From the plan of this building and its variety of

decorative motifs, one can imagine that it was built for meetings, festivals and symposia

- political, religious or military on occasions of victories.

From the east side, the building has monumental door-ways; they are large pointed

arches carried on plasters built with roughly regularly-shaped stone fragments. In the

centre of the buildings of the plaster stands a column composed of stone drums. Such

plasters and arches teem with different plastered decorations consisting of triangles

and parallelograms with different shapes, areas and dimensions spread in many places:

on the pilasters and arch-springings in the Sand W. faces of the arches. Such monu-

mental door-ways built side b y side and carried on extravagantly decorated plastersare considered unique architectural work in the Diriyah region, or in its neighbourhood.

These pilasters are four oblong ones built with stone, carrying three large pointed arches.

Two of these are door-ways; the third is a complementary facade, i.e. the E. wall of the

service room. To get to these two door-ways, one should use the door, to the east,

which leads to a corridor in front of the two door-ways. This door-way is covered with

plaster, with a row of triangles made therefrom. These triangles appear on the mud-brick

wall built very close to it on the W. side. The triangular reliefs were impressed

the lime layer i n the above - mentioned mud-brick wall; they are still visible till

now. This suggests that the original W. faces bear big and small triangles and beautiful,


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decorative figures.These magnificent door-ways lead to a corridor surrounded by serrated

crestings 1.90 m. high. The serrated crestings look oblique, and are composed of three

steps, with triangles in a vertical line passing by the axis of these triangles in three rows;

some of the triangles are pyramidal in shape, composed of two triangles surmounted

by a triangle with the same height but less wide. The crestings surround the door-way

and court on its E. and N. sides. Such a multitude of decorations appear in service

room. It is a small room, 2x2 sq. m. Its W. face has two crestings to the right of its door

1.20m. high, with two rows of vertical triangles. Its E. face is a wall 1.1Om. high, with

three horizontal triangles in one row and two plasters each having a pointed arch, 2.30m.

wide. The N. wall appeared to be two serrated crestings with three oblique steps. In

each cresting, there is a pyramidal group of three triangles surmounted by a triangle

with the same height but less wide. In the W. wall, one sees a niche with a triangular

arch. The walls of the room are plastered with lime carrying visible traces of smoke

which prove that the room was used for service. Moreover, the floor was plastered with

a hard layer of desert clay and lime. This floor is in two levels. The floor of the first level,which is on the N. side is 10 cm. lower than the floor of the second level on the

S. side. They are separated from each other by a round-topped partition-wall. It

is 20 cm. wide, extending along the floor. In the higher S. part, a canal was dug for the

drainage of refuses directly in the valley. It is 22 cm. deep and 20 cm. wide, with

a semi-circular section. Only a part of it, 70 cm. long, has remained. The daubed floor

used for the removal of the refuses of service room to the valley is 2.03 m. wide, and

2.20 m.long. This proves that, that room was used for service. It contains many decorativemotifs to suit the high standing of the visitors and guests who come to meet the Imams

of al-Diriyah and its emirs.


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Moreover, the entrance corridor has magnificent portals and many beautifully and suitably

distributed decorations. One sees on the plaster near its S. door a series of verticalparallelograms of which three have remained, with a triangle underneath it flanked by

two small halves of triangles. The parallelograms are 9 em. wide and 13 em. long; the

triangles are 7 em. high. One triangle has fallen beside the wall; it resembles the triangles

of the S. wall of room 121; the base of the triangle is 30 em. high. This suggests that

it was also one of the numerous geometrical decorations which ornamented this corridor.

At the south-east corner in the N. face of crestings of the S. wall, there are the remains

of a round plaster which is 10 em. wide; on it, one sees three triangles which are 7 em.

high each, with their bases put in one vertical line. The remaining part of the plaster is

50 em. high.

At any rate, the great east court is surrounded by columns between which there are

crestings. In the crestings, there are carved triangles with different shapes and arrange-ments; the pyramidal ones were put in horizontal rows, the other ones in vertical rows.

Hence, the court and corridor 120 with its magnificent door-ways, crestings and various

decorations, and the small room No. 121 are regarded as museums of geometrical

decorative elements, since one sees there a variety of figures in different inviting arrange-

ments rarely found together in one single place. Yet this place was employed for symposia

and meetings, held by the Imams and emirs of AI-Saud in their First State, in which

their rule prevailed in the Arabian Peninsula and its neighbourhood. No wonder if their

meeting-place looks so beautiful, grand and spectacular.


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The building has another door-way on the east side. Its E. facade and the E. face of

the door-way in front of the arches are in one horizontal line. The door-way leads tothe court. In front of the door-way, there is a small room, 2.85 m. long and 2 m. wide,

that was used as a store, since its small area was by no means suitable except for that

purpose. In its S. wall, one sees a niche with a triangular arch. The walls of the room

are plastered with mud, while the niche is surrounded by a band of plaster. A partition-wall

stands between the door-way and the room, so that anybody entering the court cannot

see those who are inside the room. On the east side of the door-way, there is the Ar.

Majlis, or sitting-room, a room that was added later to the building. The room is irregularly

shaped, with the remains of a column of stone drums in its centre. The columns of the

room had stone capitals to carry the trunks which supported the ceiling. The room was

used as a Ar. Majlis, since one sees the hollow (Ar., "wegar") in the N.-W. of the room;

its bottom is 10 cm. lower than the floor elsewhere all around it. The ground about the

hollow is 7 cm. higher than the rest of the floor of the room; it measures 3 m. long and

1.90 m. wide. The walls of the room are plastered all around with bands 5 mm. higher;the band is 10 cm. in width. The space between the bands is 80 cm. high, with lime

plastering, above, in the remaining parts of the walls. Beside the N. and W. walls and

the column at its west and north, there are abacuses of mud-bricks, 35 cm. high; the

floor is made of white concrete, i.e. chips of stone, lime and sand plastered with

lime. The room has a blocked door in the N. wall, for before it belonged to this building,

it had been annexed to the neighbouring house on the N. side. In the hollow, one still

sees some small pieces of coal, since the Arabian coffee was made there and offered

to the guests. Except for that part around the hollow, the floor of the room is found

standing on the natural rock of the platau. A flight of steps was added in a later period,


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and so the magnificent arches of the building had to be blocked. Some remains and

decorations thereof are still visible, and seven steps only have survived. The flight of

steps was built of stone plastered with lime mortar. Such a brief description, with the

attached plans and photos, explains these buildings and their different units.

Such a unique complex of buildings consists of sanitary and cultural constructions

represented by the buildings of the bath, its annexes and extensions including the

habitations which have, together with the bath, one main door-way in common, i.e. the

N. door-way. The annexes were made for the reception of the regional emirs, rulers and

the chiefs of tribes and clans and the elite who came to al-Diriyah or the ambassadors

sent on special errands. All this necessitated the construction of a guest-house wide

enough to receive all those guests and suitable for their material standard and social

position.

If one peruses historical sources, one will find that the most secure, most prosperous

and most stable reign, characterized by a cultural and architectural renai~sance, wasthat of ai-Imam Abd el-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud. He ruled forty years, and during

his reign the State expanded, order was kept and stability secured in all its parts. He

was succedded by ai-Imam Saud ibn Abd el-Aziz (Saud the Great). Again the State

expanded and its income, through zakat only, increased, amounting to over two million

riyals. One should also mention the other different sources, especially booty and agricul-

tural as well as animal wealth.


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Since ai-Imam Abd el-Aziz was fond of simplicity and asceticism, it is quite likely that

the bath, its annexes and extensions were constructed in the reign of ai-Imam Saudthe Great. He was very particular about cleanliness. The rulers of the regions and

provinces, the delegates and the chiefs of tribes and clans very often came to al-Diriyah

to carry out their aftairs, or visit its rulers to prove their loyalty. So ai-Imam had to build

those buildings to receive those guests and look after them.

When these building have been finally restored - thanks to the great efforts made by the

Assistant Deputy Ministry of Antiquities and Museums - the buildings will become one complete

architectural unit. They will occupy an excellent position; they will be surrounded by the palaces

of the Emirs of ai-Saud in their First State, looking over the green valley, its palm-tree, wells

and charming scenery.


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oW l


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AAAAAA

, I I I .I I

6 6 A 6 .0..0.

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J-o)J\ ~}\ - ~I J i l :? .)y .1 0:ykJ\~~~\ ~} r l-> J J ~ \ ~\,J \


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PROPOSED FINAL CONFIGURATION OF S. ELEVATION.

r--~A ~ 6.A O

c i

. J-o)J\ ~}I - ~\..u\ o'p~).~~fllk!PROPOSED FI AL CONFIGURATION SECTION & W. ELEV


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PROPOSED FINAL CONFIGURATION OF NORTH FACADE WITH LONGITUDINAL SECTION

THROUGH THE GUEST HOUSE BEFORE CONSTRUCTION OF EASTERN STAIRCASE.

PROPOSED FINAL CONFIGURATION - LONGITUDINAL SECTION PASSING THROUGH

COLD ROOM (THE RECEPTION) AND GUEST HOUSE.


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CROSS SECTION THROUGH SIDING ROOM (MAG LESS)

AND E. ENTRANCE OF ANNEX - FINAL CONFIGURATION


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J~Iyo ..jy\..-,WOOD BEAM

(

,) . _II , .. . l; ) " '"' ~ .. :.. > L :.j~ \..:... pJ' ./

STONE COLUMN CAPITAI-

.s~ ,)yJ'STONE COLUMN r -~)~I~

FLOOR LEVEL ~

\

y.JI J.>.? yo uJ:,

- - - 1 LAYER O F PALM FRONDSy..J\ ~ yo uJ:,

~ PALM LEAVES

\)\ ~lc b}>J.\ ~\ yo uJ:,

CLAYISH MORTAR

~~0""'WCLAYISH MORTAR TOPPING

J~\J'~\Y'~ " 0 _ " .

0.20-025 M

WOOD JOISTS

,)yo-J \ O .A > -U

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D E T A IL O F C O L U M N A N D R O O F C O N S T R U C T IO N


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~~ ~ ~-' (O~)l)\ O~\) J~ 'J\ O~ ~Lu .: : . J \. . a . > < . l l l j i~ - J l- :J I J> -.. ll l

o~ \ o)J..llIJ)~\ : .r . . ; ~I ojjl:J\ . . : : , ; L : J . : : l \

The N. entrance of the bath and its annexes; the facade of reception-room (cold room)

with a number of triangular windows decorating the facade; above, the parapet.


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Main entrance, to the right, the cold room, and to the left door leading to open court

of guest house.


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The remainders of the main N. entrance and the E. wall of the entrance corridor with

a series of triangular windows.


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The remainders of the main N. entrance and the E. wall of the entrance corridor with

a series of triangular windows.


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o~\ .k...,y ~~:r ;'f';-JL r:\) .. G :- Jy- ~L,a_l.IJ (o~)l)\ o~\) J~:1\ o~ J> -o M

.;jjJ\ i~ f ~ \ )\~ '-f 'f'~ ili\ .i;iyJ\ ~~ ~J

The entrance to the reception room (cold room) and the mastabas against the walls;

a fragment of a column in the centre of the room. On the corridor wall one sees triangular

windows in triangular shape.


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The N. W. corner of the reception-room at the bath; the mastabas are seen built against

the walls with a basin in the corner between them; a part of a column. In the walls

there are rectangularly-shaped windows in different shapes; above, the place where

the ceiling wooden ( tamarisk) logs were put; a spout for the drainage of rain-water;above, a part of the parapet with two triangles, one above the other.


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~~j y:> - ':} \ ~..l>-I~ 0~ O) j~ ~ ~ j~ ~~ ~y..) UjJ\ )~\ rY LSyLJ\ ~):-\

-' -~ ~l5 ~~ ~J\: lft,)j~..) .u y :> -) \ j o).;'Jflj .~~ ~ ~l5j o-bU\ ,..:)..:l' ll rY ~/ '

.~\ ~ ~\ ~\ 01j-l\

The upper part of the W door with a window having a pointed arch; two windows,

one above the other, a number of pyramidal apertures that were used for ventilation,

lighting and decoration; nearby, a stone slab that was used for supporting the beams

carrying the ceiling.


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~}J\ ~\ ~ ~yl\ ~~~..3 i\)-~J~ ~\o~ 0 o .- .k a .l\ ~ ~yl\

. oLJ\~~~

The basin lying between the two mastabas in the reception-room of the bath; a hole

for the drainage of water.

~)~I lr ~I?f) ~L.alIJ (o.)}.~1 o~l) J~ ~I o~ \).jJ\ ~L:JI

~\JJ\ o~ ~)\ ~ ~y ~L:JI\ . . L " , ) uy.:l:-I)ujJ\. . " .. "


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The W. door-way of reception-room (cold room) mastabas and parts of the W. and S.

walls this door-way leads to the warm room through a corridor.


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U::':})~ ~~ )~I \.il O))\.::J.\ ~\ O)y.aJ~ ~..J J~ ':}\o~ ~~\ )~\

-I

The S. wall of the reception-room; a mastaba against the wall; above, two cupboards

whose wooden lintels and shelves were burnt; two niches with five-centred arches.


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~L.al\ ~.15) o~\ ~ ~ ~15 ~\ o~)1\ l:~ ~~..3 .. ~\JJ\ o~\

~~\ 0~ Jl ,-?.:l~ ,-?..D IUJJ\ ~i5) r\c3-i J . '- ~.:l.:l;J.i 1..1""# o.h..4 ~L5 ~\

The warm room parts of the columns which supported the ceiling of the room, the

mastabas built for the bathers to rest on and the steps they climbed up to the cloak-

room.


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O~J~\

oWJlh ~~ ~i5J ~\

JlJJrU lr. ~ 015 ~\ r-U\ ~J~J ~I

. o}:J-\op~

The hot room; the bathing, or diving-tub and a step to help the bather to get into thetub; another basin opposite to it for cold water, in the hot room.

oJi ~\ ~I o~~ ~ ol)l 0\;>- ~y ~\ l:b .. ~)L:J\ "UL J~'j\ ~y

. ~\ -..jj) ~y ~)11 JJ ~}J-I 0\j3-1 ~ 4..,~W\ol)~


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The shower corner basin, above the place for a small water tank, the hole seen above

is the end of the water feeding clay pipe.

~Y' Y~\J ~.))i c J J:3 ~~..J\-JL...;j\ -:.. .5)i ~U\ .u .;J 1

.))~\ ~ll~JL.:i- ' . 1 \


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The "fire-hosue" (Ar. 'bait ul-nar') a building of burnt bricks, its opening is oblong, with

a pointed arch.

Ji U0\.,J\ -:.r.)~\ J} \ . . , \ . . Q . . . , iJl5 l:?jJl j.;-iJ\ ~y- ~\ ~ \- -0 JI 0 \.) .\ ~ ~ oW. yrJ:-1 )~\ ~\ O J \ . . , l:?.)\}\ Jl )~~ xlj ~)\ o \.) .\ iJ\j>- ~ ~ ~I


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The drainage canal beginning underneath the washing-basin which was put on the two

walls to the west of the main cistern; the canal is taking a sloping direction towards

the valley, passing under theS. wall.


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J J G .: .: . .ra ~U\ o~1 Jl olJI ~y ~l5 ~\ ~I~) ~)\ 0\;l\ ~y

. JL > . A . l 1 : . . r a ~ Iy

The remains of the main cistern, one can still see opening which furnished the hot

room with water through clay pipes.


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The entrance of open court fragments of columns; the rest of a flight of steps leading

up to the Roof.


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~}\ r-U\ 4.:\~ GlJ.l5J~~\ J.LJ ~\ ~\ 0~ lr. ~-' W~\ " L : . A . l \ J > - . . L o. o.4s-)/\ ..l>\ ~~J &-U

The entrance of open court the place of the wooden doorbolt is visible, and so is the

flight of steps leading up to the Roof fragments of a column.

~~ ~J o~ J> -.. l4 ~J "LaJ ~jJI )~I lr.~ 1 2 w~\ "L:..J~o~)l1 ~~ ~


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6 , . ; . , . > - ) G ~~\J o)~yU~J .. l> -IJ ~\ ~ ~ uWlj-" ~~ ~~ ;:.I:.4.:l~u\; ulil1

Fragments of columns in the open court the W, wall of the court with the door-way of

room on both sides of the entrance, apertures with pointed arches, above, a row of

triangles in a horizontal line for lighting, ventilation and decoration.

~ ..w . j~ )~~ ~~j~ u~l-=J\~~j w~\ " L : . 4 . l lj~b o ~ ~ J...:')\ ~~\


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.opl k . . . . 'y ' .rG )~ ~ ~."..~4~ ~~\ )~ ~ L S ~ ~p\~~\: .ro ~ ) 4~~j

The door-way between one of the room and the open court: Nof it, one sees a cupboard

in the wall with a pointed arch and the remainders of two stone shelves. Beside thedoor-way, there is a fragment of a column against the wall and fragments of another

column in the middl~ of the room.


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J4 ::- , .. . , 1 ) ~ ~ \ ~\Yj ~il>- ~~ o.)j...L.o .)~\ ~j J.J.i,JJ vL olJ-\ ~\

: i . . . . . . ,W L ~ ~ wL.J\- -

The jamb carrying the two arches; the opening of the arches is blocked with additional

buildings. On the face of the jamb there is a vertical row of a series of relieved paral-

lelograms.

r-:~I o~ j.rJ1 )J.J-\ ~ l5 .)~\ oift, y.-) lr. ~ ) j:~ ylJ-\ ~\

0?\~\ J~)..\3:-1i~\) J~ ~ Iftr j15J..>.\j ~\ .k.>-~ 0~ . . : ; . . ; '" j \ ; ~j

' - ? . ) I}\Jl r-:~\ o r- : : - 0~ ~~ jK"


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) } j

The jamb carrying the two arches whose springs can be seen; the E. wall of service

room with three pierced triangles on one horizontal line, formerly having a five-centered

arch. In front of the wall, on the E. side, there is a place to dump the refuses of theservice-room, in towards the valley.

t :

. ' "I~

al-turaif bath and its annexes-dirriyah

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