From The One Thousand and One Nights to the Saudi Kingdom
The city of Hail, capital of the eponymous province, is located in the center of northern Arabian Peninsula on the eastern side of the massive Jibal Aga and at the fringe of the vast desert of the Rub' Al-Khali.
The Jibal Aga in the outskirts of Hail (photo: Florent Egal)
History of Hail
Its central position and the wells fed by the rain water drained off the nearby mountains made Hail an important oasis on the ancient caravan trade routes. Although there are no remains from this period the ancient inscriptions found in the surrounding desert attest to this past human presence.
Hail is well-known for the generosity of its people in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world as it is the place where Hatim al-Tai, who was a famous Arab poet and one of the characters of The One Thousand and One Nights, lived. Stories about his extreme generosity have made him an icon to Arabs up till the present day, as in the proverbial phrase "more generous than Hatem".
From 1836 until 1921 Ha’il City was the center of the Kingdom of Hail led by a clan of the Shammar tribe, the Al-Rashid. This Emirate stretched from the actual border with Iraq to Wadi Ad-Dawasir in today's central Saudi Arabia.
During the Al-Rashid period many foreign travellers visited Ha'il and the Rashidi emirs, and described their impressions in different journals and books. These include Georg August Wallin (1854), William Gifford Palgrave (1865), Charles Huber (1878 and 1883), Lady Anne Blunt (1881), Julius Euting (1883), Charles Montagu Doughty (1888), and Gertrude Bell (1914)
Charles Huber (photo: BNF)
The city of three castles
A'arif Fort
Coveted because of its strategic location the city of Hail hosted several fortified buildings protecting its rulers. The oldest and probably the most famous is the A'arif Fort which is built on top of a rock which provides the best viewpoint over the city.
A'Arif Fort: A historic landmark in Hail (photo: Florent Egal)
Barzan Castle
Then came the Barzan castle whose construction begun in 1808 by Prince Muhammad bin Abdul-Muhsin Al Ali and was completed during the rule of the second Rashidi emir, Talal ibn Abdullah (1848–68). Barzan Palace consisted of three floors and covered an area of more than 300,000 square meters. The ground floor featured the reception halls, gardens, and kitchens. The first floor housed diplomatic guests, and the second floor was occupied by the royal family.
Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the founder of the third Saudi Kingdom ordered the Palace destroyed after he had ousted the last Al-Rashid emir from power in 1921. Today only one tower remains standing in the middle of the city but it gives an idea of the size of this building before its destruction.
Al-Qishlah Castle
The third fortified place is the Castle of Al-Qishlah which was built in the 1940s during the principality of prince Abdul-Aziz bin Musa'ad Al Saud of Ha'il province. It is a two-floor mud palace, with long walls that stretch over 140 meters and are 8.5m tall, and it has eight watch-towers along with the walls with two main gates, east and west.
Al-Qishlah Castle (photo: Florent Egal)
Its name comes from the Turkish word for fort or barrack (Kişla) and the purpose in building it was to host the troops that were protecting the northern part of the Kingdom. After that it was used as a prison until the end of the principality of bin Musa'ad, when it was re-purposed as a historical building by the government. Today it is still under renovation.
The three castles are located in the city center where there is also the Souq of Hail. Specialities include traditional items, spices, and other souvenirs that take you back in time.
Hail Souq (photo: Florent Egal)
How to visit the city of Hail
The city of Hail is reachable both by car or by plane thanks to its domestic airport. Several hotels offer all the comfort needed to enjoy a trip to Hail.
The location of the city and its main touristic attractions are available on Google Maps.
