Earth Views - .sa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, A...

About This Category

Places and sights from around the Earth, catalogued by location, including views and scenery natural and artificial, rural and urban, ugly and beautiful.

This gives a feel of what particular parts of the world are like.

See also Aloha Earth to zoom in on on a map of the Earth to locate exhibits, and our travel section.

• saudi arabia = .sa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arabia Saudita, "The land of the two holy mosques", KSA = At 2005 the population was ~26.5m. Land area approx 2,000,000 sq km, consisting of most of the Arabian peninsula, mostly semi-desert and desert with oases, roughly half uninhabitable. Extensive coastlines on Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud (AKA Ibn Saud), descendant of the first Wahhabi rulers, created the present Saudi Arabian state in 1932, ending a campaign started in 1902. Known as "the land of the two holy mosques" for the cities of Mecca and Medina which are Islam's two holiest places. Adjective "Saudi" or "Saudi Arabian".

Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress back wall footpath BG.jpg ... Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress spearpoint embedded in door 1 BG.jpg

saudi arabia riyadh al bathaa

Thumbnail	Exhibit Name
	Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress back wall footpath BG.jpg (Earth Views) saudi arabia = .sa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arabia Saudita, "The land of the two holy mosques", KSA
	Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress door 1 BG.jpg (Earth Views) "
	Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress door 2 BG.jpg (Earth Views) "
	Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress door 3 BG.jpg (Earth Views) "
	Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress palm trees BG.jpg (Earth Views) saudi arabia = .sa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arabia Saudita, "The land of the two holy mosques", KSA
	Saudi Arabia Riyadh Al Bathaa Masmak Fortress spearpoint embedded in door 1 BG.jpg (Earth Views) " From the Lonely Planet guide to the Middle East (ISBN 0-86442-701-8) p623, This was the citadel in the heart of Old Riyadh that Abdul Aziz took in January 1902 to regain control of the city. During the raid one of the future king's companions heaved a spear at the door with such force that the head is still lodged in the doorway ... The fortress is built of dried mud. It is now used as a museum honouring Abdul Aziz.