Al-Maqar palace in the Asir region is an architectural marvel. It looks like a fictional palace come to life from the pages of a fantasy book. It erupts tall and beautiful in an otherwise subtle city.
The palace is illuminated with lights that make it appear to glow. As Asir is a cold region, in the winter fog looms around the castle, adding to the dreamy view.
After marveling over the beauty of the exterior, visitors can enjoy the inside of the place. It took 35 years to build and used more than two million natural stones from the mountains of the Asir region in its construction.
A citizen inspired by Andalusian palaces built it and collected Islamic artifacts dating back to the Abbasid, Umayyad and Ottoman periods.
To some the interior may look more like a private collection than a museum, with 16 million Islamic decorations gathering dust on the shelves. The artifacts were collected by Mohammed Al-Maqar Al-Shehri, who traveled the world finding items to add to his collection.
Considering what it has to offer, the museum does not get as much recognition as it should.
There are 20 places to enter the palace, and the structure of the building has seven domes each representing the continents of the world. The museum itself stands on 365 columns, each dedicated to each day of the year.
The attention to detail in the museum is outstanding. Each floor is dedicated to the era from which the artifacts are from, making it a rare Saudi landmark in the 21st century.
The museum is home to many Islamic manuscripts on medicine, astronomy and mathematics. It also has the first record of the handwritten manuscript of the Qur’an. In addition, there are a few thousand manuscripts to view.
The museum opens a window on Islamic and Arabic history and takes the visitor on a journey back in time.
ThePlace: Al-Maqar palace in the Asir region is an architectural marvel
ThePlace: Al-Maqar palace in the Asir region is an architectural marvel
- There are 20 places to enter the palace, and the structure of the building has seven domes each representing the continents of the world
UN honors Saudi Reef chief with medal for sustainable development
- Ghassan Bakri is empowering small agricultural producers
- Saudi Reef helps to boost food security, protect resources
RIYADH: Ghassan Bakri, secretary-general of the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Saudi Reef, has received a UN first-class medal of honor for his developmental work.
The award recognizes his leadership in advancing the program’s objectives and enhancing its impact in the rural sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.
This international honor acknowledges his supervision of initiatives to empower small-scale agricultural producers and improve rural productivity and efficiency.
It also highlights his work in developing agricultural value chains, increasing access to local markets, and reinforcing the sustainability of farming activities.
The UN recognition further reflects the program’s efforts to build international partnerships and share expertise in sustainable agriculture.
It underscores initiatives on food security that support the agricultural ecosystem and improve resource efficiency, the SPA reported.
Earlier, the UN World Tourism Organization praised Saudi Reef for promoting sustainable development by linking it to rural tourism and showcasing the cultural heritage of communities.
Basmah Al-Mayman, the organization’s director of the Regional Department for the Middle East, commended the program for organizing multiple rural tourism events across the Kingdom.
In a report published by the SPA last month, the program projected that the average monthly income of its beneficiaries, including farmers and producers, will exceed SR20,000 ($5,300) per person by 2030.
This expected growth underscores the program’s commitment to enhancing economic sustainability in rural areas, in alignment with Vision 2030 objectives, the SPA stated.
Saudi Reef spokesperson Majed Al-Buraikan said the rise in farmers’ incomes reflects the program’s expanded support for more than 200,000 beneficiaries, which boosts productivity, local investment, and sustainability through modern irrigation and agricultural mechanization.
He added that the projected income growth for small farmers and producers reflects the success of Saudi Reef initiatives in empowering communities and enhancing their contribution to the national economy.
Al-Buraikan said the program has successfully introduced multi-billion-riyal products into the Saudi market, with the fruit sector alone exceeding SR2.3 billion and the coffee sector reaching SR825 million.
He pointed out that the total market value covers five main sectors: fruits, coffee, honey, roses, and rain-fed crops.
The program provides financial and advisory support to small-scale farmers, beekeepers, fishermen, and productive rural families across several sectors.
