Duriah/ Diriyah Ruins - May 1961

More trips out to look around Duriah. The slides were dated May '61; black & white photos were not dated.  As mentioned at the beginning of the 1st Duriah album, the name is spelled several different ways. An excellent web page providing information on the Riyadh & Duriah area is provided by alnokhba.com.  Here it is spelled "Diraiyah" or "Diraiyyah."  Excerpts from this site give there interesting descriptive comments:

  "Riyadh's most interesting attraction, the ruins of Diraiyah, lie 30km (20 miles) north of the city centre and to the northwest of Al-Riyadh on the bank of Wadi Hanifa, with many date palm trees. This was the Kingdom's first capital and is now the country's most popular archaeological site. ...  Ad-diriyyah is fortified by a strong wall which consists of several watch towers built during the region of Al-Imam Abdulaziz bin Mohammad bin Saud to protect the city from any danger and foreign aggression. The buildings are made of mud, straw and seashells. ..."

The road from Riyadh as it drops in to the wadi.

One of the several towers surrounding the ancient city.

Friends Dave Hamilton & Don Scott explore the ruins.

Impressive tall structures still standing.

More mud bricks being made.

The shaded lane.

Scotty & Dave check out the modernized water system coming out of this old well.

A Bedu encampment in the wadi below an old watch tower.

A closer view of one of the Bedouin tents.

A black & white view of the walled lane.

MSgt Simko is seen from the back in this view.

A black & white view of probably the same watch tower shown in the 2nd color shot above.

A tower & building down in the bottom of the wadi.

For some reason, these openings have been closed up.

Another old  well now fitted with modern steel plumbing.

This ancient tower has now been restored.

A view over a large section of the ruined city.

Looking down into the wadi with its date palms & structures.

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