What to See in Saudi Arabia - Top Sights and Attractions

The Black Stone is a rock set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, the ancient building in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic which, according to Muslim tradition, dates back to the time of Adam and Eve.

The stone was venerated at the Kaaba in pre-Islamic pagan times. According to Islamic tradition, it was set intact into the Kaaba's wall by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 605 CE, five years before his first revelation. Since then it has been broken into fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kaaba. Its physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark rock, polished smooth by the hands of pilgrims. Islamic tradition holds that it fell from heaven as a guide for Adam and Eve to build an altar. It has often been described as a meteorite.

Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba as a part of the tawaf ritual during the hajj and many try to stop to kiss the Black Stone, emulating the kiss that Islamic tradition records that it received from Muhammad. Muslims do not worship the Black Stone.^[1]

The Jeddah Corniche, also known as the Jeddah Waterfront, is a 30 km coastal resort area of the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Located along the Red Sea, the corniche features a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions and large-scale civic sculptures as well as King Fahd's Fountain, the highest fountain in the world. Also located here is the Al-Rahmah Mosque, which is a popular attraction to visitors.

The Jeddah Corniche derives its name from the original French and Italian term for a coastal road, especially a road along the face of a cliff.

In November 2017, the waterfront was inaugurated for visitors with the goal of being a tourist attraction in the city. It was launched as a response to a royal decree with the aim of improving the public facilities of the city of Jeddah. The established area is equipped with many facilities including restaurants, retail outlets, hotels, aquarium, cultural centre, water dancing fountain, blossoming gardens and fountains.^[3]

Mountain in Saudi Arabia. Jabal an-Nour is a mountain near Mecca in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. The mountain houses the grotto or cave of Hira', which holds tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world, as the Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have spent time in this cave meditating, and it is widely believed that it was here that he received his first revelation, which consisted of the first five ayats of Surah Al-Alaq from the angel Jibra'il. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Makkah. The mountain itself is barely 640 m tall; nonetheless one to two hours are needed to make the strenuous hike to the cave. There are 1750 steps to the top which, even for a fit individual, can take anywhere between half an hour and one-and-a-half hours.^[4]

Street in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Tahlia Street is a fashion and shopping street in the mid-town of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The street contains many upscale department shops, and boutiques, such as Prada, Gucci, Versace, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani. As the Champs-Élysées is for Paris, Tahlia Street is believed to be the heart of Jeddah and Saudi Arabia's wealthiest district.

This commercial street is the destination of soccer fans, who drive up and down waving club scarves and sounding their car horns to celebrate victory.

An identically named street in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, has been nicknamed Tahlia Street by the residents as it coincidentally shares many similarities with the original Tahlia Street in Jeddah.^[5]

Great Mosque of Mecca. Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Great Mosque of Mecca, is a mosque that surrounds the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is a site of pilgrimage in the Hajj, which every Muslim must do at least once in their lives if able, and is also the main phase for the ʿUmrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, including the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa.

As of August 2020, the Great Mosque is the largest mosque and the eighth largest building in the world. It has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years. It has passed through the control of various caliphs, sultans and kings, and is now under the control of the King of Saudi Arabia who is titled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.^[6]

Mosque built by the prophet Muhammad. Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, known in English as The Prophet's Mosque, is a mosque built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the city of Medina in the Al Madinah Province of Saudi Arabia. It was the second mosque built by Muhammad in Medina, after Masjid Quba', and is the second largest mosque and second holiest site in Islam, both titles ranking after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is generally open regardless of date or time, and has only been closed to visitors once in modern times, as Ramadan approached during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

The land of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi belonged to two young orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, and when they came to know that Muhammad wished to acquire their land for the purposes of erecting a mosque, they went to Muhammad and offered the land to him as a gift; Muhammad insisted on paying a price for the land because they were orphaned children. The price agreed upon was paid by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who thus became the endower or donor (Arabic: واقِف, romanized: waqif) of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi on behalf of, or in favor of, Muhammad. al-Ansari also accommodated Muhammad upon his arrival at Medina in 622.

Muhammad shared in the construction of the mosque. Originally an open-air building, the mosque served as a community center, a court of law, and a religious school. There was a raised platform or pulpit (minbar) for the people who taught the Quran and for Muhammad to give the Friday sermon (khutbah). Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated the mosque, naming its walls, doors and minarets after themselves and their forefathers.

After an expansion during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I, it now incorporates the final resting place of Muhammad and the first two Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar. One of the most notable features of the site is the Green Dome in the south-east corner of the mosque, originally Aisha's house, where the tomb of Muhammad is located. Many pilgrims who perform the Hajj also go to Medina to visit (Ziyarah) the Green Dome. In 1909, under the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, it became the first place in the Arabian Peninsula to be provided with electrical lights. The mosque is under the control of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The mosque is located at the heart of Medina and is a major pilgrimage site.^[7]

Qasr Ibrahim is a historical castle and fort that is located in the north of Alqoat neighborhood, Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Besides, it is called the dome Palace, AlQoat Palace or Ibrahim Castle. Ibrahim palace is the main architectural heritage from the Ottoman period of Al-Hofuf that was a Turkish military barracks. After that, the palace was taken and seized by King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud in April 13, 1913.

The palace was constructed with a mosque that has a dome in 1555 (963 AH). During the next century, the palace was enlarged into a castle, prison and Turkish bath. In 2019, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage has announced that the procedures of renovation of all parts of the palace have finished. This restoration process included rebuilding the fallen parts, painting the buildings and preparing a main square for the tourism activities and festivals.^[13]