Murabba Palace
| Murabba Palace | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Architectural style |
Traditional Arab architecture Najdi urban patterns |
| Town or city | Riyadh |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Construction started | 1936 |
| Completed | 1938 |
| Client | King Abdulaziz |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 7,000 square-metre |
The Murabba Palace (Qasr al Murabba (the Square in Arabic)) is one of the historic buildings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The palace was named after its square with the form of 400 by 400 metres (1,300 by 1,300 ft). It is one of the museums in the city.
The palace was built by King Abdulaziz outside Riyadh, being the first major expansion of the city in the twentieth century. Construction was started in 1936, partly finalized in 1938 and fully completed in 1945. The palace was intended to be a family residence and court for the king. With the construction of the palace three novel technologies were introduced to the Saudi society: the use of the automobiles as means of transportation, electricity by means of generators and water closets with drainage systems.
The king left his former court in Masmak fort when the construction was finished, and used the palace as his residence and court from 1938 until his death in 1953. However, another palace, Addeera, was also used as royal residence.
During this period the palace witnessed many official visits and sign of various agreements. A lift was installed into the Murabba Palace in the late 1940s when the king had difficulty in climbing the stairs due to advanced arthritis. It was the first lift in Saudi Arabia. The king appointed one of his sons, Prince Mansour, as emir of the palace.
The Murabba palace is situated two kilometers north of the old city of Riyadh and its total area was over 16 hectar. It is located about half a mile from Masmak fort. The area where the palace was constructed was called Murabba Al Sufyan. In the south of the palace there are gardens and the Batha valley is situated in the east. Wadi Abu Rafie is in the west and small hills lie on the north of the palace.
The palace is in fact a complex of palaces used for different purposes, housing two stories with 32 rooms. Overall shape of the building is cubic. It is made up of residential buildings, service facilities and the diwan of the king. These buildings are surrounded by a courtyard. A huge brick wall also surrounds the palace and there are nine gates. The main gate was originally on the west side, but, later the gate on the southern side was used as main entrance which allowed a short link to the nearby mosque.
The upper floor of the building used for court of the king included audience hall, offices of administrative affairs, communications and guest chambers. The ground floor housed the offices for palace utilities, security and administration.
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