Founded in the Fifteen century, At-Turaif district is located in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, northwest of Riyadh. The site of At-Turaif, which was founded in the fifteenth century, bears traces of the Najdi architectural style that is unique to the center of the Arabian Peninsula. It holds a great historic value as it was the territory of a traditional human settlement in a desert environment.
Some of the most historical palaces and monuments of the district include the Salwa Palace, the Saad bin Saud Palace, the Guest House and At-Turaif Bath House, and the Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque.
The buildings made in adobe in the main palace complexes show as well a remarkable sense of geometric decorations. In the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, the political and religious role of Al-Turaif district grew as it became a center for the authority of the Al Saud family and the spread of Salafi reform in Islam. This site includes the remains of many palaces, as well as a city built on the banks of the Diriyah Oasis. At Turaif district was the first capital of the Saudi dynasty from 1744 to 1818.
