Al-Kaaki Palace In Saudi Arabia: A Treasure Trove Of Architectural Heritage (image:visitsaudi.com/)

Taif district is known for its historical palaces, and Al-Kaaki Palace is a gem among them. As it stands as a symbol of cultural heritage, the architectural style of the building attracts its own visitors.

Al-Kaaki palace is situated in the Al-Salama Street in Taif, a city in the Makkah Province of Saudi Arabia. Built in 1358 AH (1939 AD) by Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Kaaki, the palace comprises three floors and includes forty rooms and six kitchens. It belonged to Al-Kaaki family, one among the prominent family of Taif at that time. It was used as their residence till 1970s and then was converted into a museum.

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The palace depicts a fine intertwining of Roman architectural style with local inspirations from Islamic Hijazi architecture. It was built using limestone, granite, masonry sand, briquette, mahogany and beech wood, juniper wood, iron, and coloured glass.

The building is in rectangular shape and constructed around a central courtyard. The walls of the palace were painted with limestone and are decorated with intricate Islamic calligraphy and geometric patterns. The arched doors, domes, and windows in the Al-Kaaki Palace pays homage to artistic engineering motifs in the local architectural style.

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Since the palace has been converted into a museum, the visitors can explore various rooms and galleries of the palace and awe at rare artifacts, and artistic treasures. It is also a historical sojourn, since history of the Al-Kaaki family and their contributions to the region are learnt.