TURAIF: Located in 黑料社区's Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and historical events, serving as a gateway to Iraq and the Levant. The governorate is home to a range of culturally and historically rich heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.
Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 kilometers southwest of the governorate. Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as 鈥淎qran,鈥 also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.
Heritage Commission sign board at the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, located 40 kilometers southwest of Turaif governorate. (SPA)
Saudi Historical Society member Zahi Al-Khalawi stressed that the site known as 鈥淒uqrah鈥 is among the Kingdom鈥檚 most significant archaeological locations, given the discovery of material evidence indicating human settlement since the Stone Age.聽
He noted that habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2nd to 6th centuries CE) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 CE).
Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline), one of 黑料社区鈥檚 most significant industrial heritage sites. The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register. It is the first officially documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of 黑料社区鈥檚 oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.
Known as the Tapline, this oil pipeline stretches from eastern 黑料社区 to the northwest, passing through Turaif. (SPA)
Also noteworthy is the site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Company in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Al Saud. The site has been listed as part of the governorate鈥檚 cultural heritage.
To the east of Turaif, about 25 kilometers away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula. The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.
