|
Capital
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is the seat of government;
ministries, embassies, diplomatic missions, as well as It contains
educational, financial, agricultural, cultural, technical, commercial and
social organizations.
 The
population exceeds two million, and the total inhabited area is more than
1,600 km. Riyadh also contains two university "cities," King
Saud and Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University, in addition to
military and security colleges, specialized institutes, information,
cultural information and cultural centres, sports facilities and stadiums,
literary Centres and public libraries.
The Municipality of the city has 17 branches in various quarters. The main
features of Riyadh are:
1. Qasr Al-Hukm Area
This area contains the Riyadh city hall, with its striking combination of
contemporary and traditional
architectural styles.
2. The Diplomatic Quarter
This is a verdane quarter located in the northwest; it contains more than
90 foreign embassies, missions, and international organizations, in a
setting of walks, gardens, sports facilities and malls.
3. The Ministry of Information Complex
This broadcasting nerve centre contains the Ministry of Information,
Broadcasting station and television studio. It is capped by a 176-meter
tower of Ornate design.
4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Complex:
This offers to a breathtaking example of contemporary Islamic
architecture.
5. The Ministry of interior
This example of massive modern design hovers over one of the city's
central areas.
6. King Fahd Stadium
Designed in a shape of a large round Arabic tent, this lavish stadium
contains a football field accommodates 80,000 fans.
Other notable features of the city are Riyadh Water Tower, The National
Museum, The Zoo, The King Fahd
National Library, King Khalid International Airport, The Equestrian Club
and the 93-kilometre ring road encircling the city.
 Mosques,
quite naturally, are a major feature of the cityscape. Every day, five
times a day, the air is filled with the song of the muezzin call the
faithful to prayer - and everything stops for prayer times. Non-Muslims
must simply stop what they are doing and wait. One of the busiest times in the Saudi capital is the
evening - the normal working day starts at 7am, breaks for several hours
in the middle of the day, and then resumes in the late afternoon. This is
quite understandable in a climate where temperatures regularly exceed
forty degrees in the daytime. This shot was taken outside a souk (covered
market) at around 10pm.
|
