[ Where desert and water meet rises the gateway to Islam, a city of life and a crossroad of culture...] One of the most ancient cities in Arabia, with traditional roots going back as far as Adam & Eve has grown to be the second largest city in Saudi and the recreational, tourist, and shopping focus of the Country. Jeddah has in recent years become one of the main shopping centers in the Middle East hosting everything from traditional goods to International fashion boutiques.
Riyadh's original settlement was its potential cultivation hence its name al-riyadh, the gardens. Situated in the heart of central Najd, on a sedimentary plateau 600 meters above sea levelRiyadh Development Authority utilized a computerized urban intelligence system for mapping, planning and anticipating in demography. In those days it was still a city in search of it's proper identity. But vigorous and coordinated planning and architectural control told in the end and finally shaped the city. Planners and architects alike created an elegant and efficient modern capital whose characteristics both in concept and detail recalled Riyadh's history. Riyadh Development Authority utilized a computerized urban intelligence system for mapping, planning and anticipating in demography. In those days it was still a city in search of it's proper identity. But vigorous and coordinated planning and architectural control told in the end and finally shaped the city. Planners and architects alike created an elegant and efficient modern capital whose characteristics both in concept and detail recalled Riyadh's history.
photos courtesy of OTE postcards
