Riyadh - City Sights

Al Masmak Fortress

The Al Masmak Fortress is a clay and mud-brickt fort in the old city of Riyadh. The fortress was built in 1865 by Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman. It was built with four watchtowers and a foundation of stone blocks. The Fort played an important role in the War of Unification. The Battle of Riyadh took place in its grounds in 1902. It consists of six parts: the gate, the mosque, the majlis, the well, the watchtowers and the courtyard. The Fort was converted into a museum in 1995. 

Al Masmak Fortress is a short walk from which famous square?
Deera Square

How many defensive towers does Al Masmak Fortress have?
Four

Masmak Fort wat built when today’s Saudi Arabia was what?
Emirate of Jabal Shammar

Riyadh’s Masmak Fort was made with what materials?
Clay and mudbricks

The front door at Al Masmak fits how many people at a time?
One

What does “al-Khokha refer to?
Al Masmak’s main gate

What purpose does Al Masmak serve today?
Museum

Which large mosque is near Al Masmak Fortress?
Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque

Who built Al Masmak Fortress in the 1860s?
Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman

Why is nearby Deera Square called “Chop Chop Square”?
There are public beheadings here


The National Museum

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia is one of the major museums of the country. The museum was established in 1999 and it is part of the king Abdulaziz historical centre in Riyadh. The architect, Raymond Moriyama, was inspired by form and the colors of the “Red Sands” dunes outside Riyadh. There are totally eight exhibition halls or galleries in the museum. Among the exhibits there is a fragment of a meteorite found in the Wabar Craters, a skeleton of a platybelodon and a whole gallery dedicated to king Adbulaziz. 

Architect Raymond Moriyama modeled the National Museum on what landmark?
Red Sands

Before transferring to the National Museum, where was the Wabar meteorite?
King Saud University

Formally, the National Museum is a part of what?
King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre

Roughly how old is the National Museum’s Wabar site meteorite?
300 years

Saudi Arabia’s National Museum is near what palace complex?
Murabba Palace

The kiswah cloth at the National Museum used to cover what?
Mecca’s Kaaba

The museum’s reconstructed Nabataean tomb is based on one from where?
Hegra

The National Museum has a meteorite found in what area?
Rub’ al Khali desert

The opening of the National Museum coincided with what event?
Saudi Arabia’s 100th birthday

What American journal re-discovered the Wabar meteorite in the 1960s?
National Geographic

What British intelligence officer first found the Wabar craters?
St John Philby

What other prominent museum did Raymond Moriyama design?
Canadian War Museum

What’s a common nickname for the meteorite now in the National Museum?
“Camel’s Hump”

When it opened in 1999, how many floors were in the National Museum?
Two

Where was head architect Raymond Moriyama born?
Canada

Which scale model isn’t in the museum’s Hajj section?
Dammam


Kingdom Centre Tower

Kingdom Centre Tower is a 99-floor skyscraper in the city of Riyadh. When it was completed in 2002, the Kingdom Centre Tower was the tallest building in Saudi Arabia. In 2021, the Kingdom Centre Tower is the fifth tallest building in Saudi Arabia, the tallest three being the Royal Clock Tower, the Capital Market Authority Headquarters, the Burj Rafal. It is the third tallest building with a hole, after the Shanghai World Financial Centre and the 85 Sky Tower. The building is 302.3 metres tall, it has 99 floors and 45 elevators. The Kingdom Centre Tower features 300-ton steel sky bridge on its top that is 65 metres long! 

How many stories are in Kingdom Centre Tower?
99

In 2002, Kingdom Centre Tower won what award?
Emporis Skyscraper Award

Kingdom Centre Tower is located along what major road?
King Abdullah Rd

Kingdom Centre Tower is roughly as tall as which iconic structure?
Eiffel Tower, France

What famous Saudi leader helped develop Kingdom Centre
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal

What’s on the 77th Floor of Kingdom Centre Tower
A mosque

What’s on the east end of Kingdom Centre Tower?
A shopping mall

What’s the primary material in Kingdom Centre Tower’s structure?
Tubular steel

Which American architectural firm helped build Kingdom Centre Tower?
Ellerbe Becket

Which hotel brand is inside Kingdom Centre Tower?
Four Seasons

Which Saudi-based firm helped build Kingdom Centre Tower?
Omrania

Which skyscraper with a hole is taller than Kingdom Centre Tower?
Shanghai World Financial Center

Who are the only people allowed on the third floor of the Kingdom Centre’s mall?
Women

Why are Kingdom Centre Tower’s east and west sides thinner?
To avoid excess heat












1 comment:

  1. Al Masmak Fortress:

    Along with Masmak Fortress, what's on Riyadh's official seal?:
    Swords and a palm tree

    The impact from what weapon can still be seen in Al Masmak's main doorway?:
    Spear

    What happened at Al Masmak in 1902?
    Successful raid and takeover by Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud (that's not the answer verbatim, didn't get the screenshot, but it will definitely get the player through the question correctly)

    Al Masmak Fortress is a short walk from which famous square?
    Deera Square

    Al Masmak was used as a fortress and what else?
    Prison

    *I don't remember if this one is correct for sure, but it asks something about Al Masmak Fortress's location in Riyadh... I believe the correct answer is Southern. If not Southern then Western, lol.

    ReplyDelete