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Old Town (Deera)
It is an integrated housing city with a number of 780 terraced
houses. Stones from Dedan City (Khuraybah) used in building of
most houses in the Old Town. The most famous district of the
city is Khokha. Old Town has semi-shaded roads that named Saqaif;
other roads that might be narrower or broader as per case
formulate the town. The town has 14 gates during that times of
political instability and been closed at night. The ancient town
is located on the northward road named Musa Bin Nusair Street. A
visitor can recognize the town through its natural
characteristics as it built of mud and stones forming one
unified interconnected constructional mass. It will also
recognize by Friday Mosque and Stone Mosque, as well as Musa bin
Nusair Castle.
Tantoura
Tantoura is located in the southeastern part of the old town. It
is clearly obvious and recognizable to visitor. As called by
local people, tantoura is a sundial shaped like obelisk or a
sun-clock that is located on the eastern entrance of the town
named Ad-Darb market. Its main function is to determine
beginnings of the seasons and distribute water from springs for
irrigation and watering farms in the day. It is marvelous and
worth visiting for meditation.
Main Mosque
It is located in the southeastern part of the old town beside
Tantoura. It is the mosque gathering inhabitants of the town in
which congregation prayer performed. It has three gates, one in
the west and is open to the internal side of the town. The
mosque has a minaret built of stone and mud. The mosque that
dates back to the phase of the first Islamic conquests
considered among the main components of the ancient town. It
does not contain places for ablution because all people do their
ablutions in Tid’el commonly known as Al-Geneina. It has a
Mehrab and a pulpit for speeches. The mosque had undergone many
restorations, the last of which is by Sheikh Saleh Al-Imam
during the successive Islamic stages.
Al-Sakhrah (Rock) Mosque
The rock mosque is located beside Musa bin Nusair Castle. They
separated by Musa Bin Nusair Road, it amides the town between
northern and southern parts opposite of Al-Khokha gateway. It is
a historic mosque originated by wife of Ahmed ibn Yousah
(honorable Ahlia) dates back to more than 630 years ago. The
mosque does not contain a minaret or a pulpit for sermons. It
has been restored at the expense of His Royal Highness Prince
Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. In the past, the mosque been
connected to the town. However, after the inauguration of Musa
bin Nusair Road in the reign of late Blessed King Faisal bin
Abdul Aziz Al Saud, it become outside the gates of the town.
Then all buildings in the north and south of the mosque had
demolished to make currently appear as a constructional
masterpiece in the middle of the square.
Ein Tid’el (Al-Geneina)
Al-Geneina or Ein Tid’el is one of the most famous ancient
spring water in Al-Ula. It is commonly known as Al-Geneina date
back to pre-historic era. In the past, people call Al-Geneina as
“compassionate mother” because it gives water for cooking,
drinking, washing and bathing, to irrigate farms, water for
animals and for laundry until the recent time in the beginning
of eighties in Gregorian calendar. Then, it had dried out due to
drilling of wells around it. There is also a division of water
on the exit of the canal of Ein Tid’el in the northern part of
the town. It divided into three parts; upper part is allocated
for women taking palatable water for houses of the town. The
middle part is for men to wash and for animals to drink whereas
the third part designed for washing the clothes. A tourist can
access this distribution of water if they visit the old town.
Musa bin Nusair Castle
The local people call it Um Nasser or Jubail. It is an old
castle belonging to the Islamic eras constructed on the mountain
at the end of the old town from the east. It overlooks Musa bin
Nusair Street. It mentioned often in narrations of the travelers
and historians who visited Al-Ula over the past centuries. It
includes a hot water well that dug in the mountain foundation.
This castle was used as a control point to protect the town
against any attack and to alert the population of any danger
coming from outside before the arrival of the enemy. In the near
past, a lamp was place over its summit for guidance and
lighting. Until today, Musa bin Nusair Castle or local people
called “Umm Nasser Castle". All accounts indicate that the
Muslim Commander Musa bin Nusair, died and buried close to it.
The visitor can closely watch the town's old Islamic Castle but
the road to its summit is impassable at this time because of the
destruction it sustained because of negligence and lack of
repairs and restoration.
Ad-Door
It is an open place located from the west outside of the old
town. It consists of market, bakery, coffee shop, restaurant,
animal market, municipal administration, police station and a
well that provide water for everyday use. It also includes place
where camels, goats and sheep are being slaughter. Before the
ruling of the Saudi, Ad Door does not exist because all the
markets in the past were located only inside the town. It
considered as one of the relatively modern areas in the town
during that era. Ad-Door extends from the boundaries of Ashogeg
cemetery in north to the borders of Al-Helf cemetery in the
south.
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