Al Masmak Fortress
Al Masmak Fortress
4.5
About
This property is temporary closed This renovated 19th-century mud fortress looks like a giant sandcastle, and contains costumes, handicrafts, a sitting room, a courtyard and a well.
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  • PeteDalton71
    Ascot, United Kingdom145 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historical area of the city, great for an evening tour.
    A great place to visit in the evening. The historical fort is free to access with excellent commentary and exhibits. The external walls are illuminated , adding to the ambience. The fort is located next to the old square , surrounded by cafes, a mosque and a royal palace. The square has historical and cultural significance and is well worth a visit. There are some great outdoor cafes between the Fort and Square. Be cautious about photographs in between the square and the royal palace area, this is a sensitive area. The large flag is spectacular , nearby are ships and a Souq.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written October 20, 2023
  • Jess B
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    History and Beauty for Free
    Beautiful and historical site both day and night. Spent a couple of hours here to visit the Al Masmak museum, grab a small bite to eat and watch the sunset as the mosque was calling people to prayer. Highly recommend (free)
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written October 30, 2023
  • Kemeny
    Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia2,013 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Historical walk in the fortress
    One of the oldest historical monuments in the city, therefore it shall be visited if you are in Riyadh. You can learn about the history of the country and the establishment of the Emirate of Riyadh. The fortress played an integral role in the Unification of Saudi Arabia, with the Battle of Riyadh, one of the most important conflicts of the Saudi unification. Various exhibitions can be found in the fortress.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled on business
    Written November 19, 2023
  • Sundncr
    Washington DC, District of Columbia1,116 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderfully preserved fort and musuem
    I took a taxi straight from the airport to this historical area of Riyadh. This is the Saudi Arabia I envisioned and wanted to visit. The rest of Riyadh is like any other modern metropolis. It takes about an hour plus in traffic to reach. The whole area was an island of calm and peace. There is paid parking. The fort/museum was well preserved. You can learn a lot about desert lifestyle in the past and the history of the modern Saudi state. After a visit to the museum, there is plenty of shopping to do in the bylanes. Most items looked of good quality. The best purchase would be the famous Arabian Oud and merchants sell them by the gram here.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written January 26, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles660 reviews
Excellent
311
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258
Average
75
Poor
11
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WMBandit
Shanghai, China2,061 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Really enjoyed my visit to Masmak Fortress. Wonderful informative guide who shared with me the history and importance of the fortress and the role it plays for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Love the bullet holes and the spearhead jammed in the front gate as well as the friendly staff. Love the dates and coffee offered as well. Toilet facilities nice- good display of old photos and other objects on display. Nice gift shop and I sense great things to come for tourism in the Kingdom. In the future, they will introduce audioguides and multi-lingual guides. Close to the Souq and restaurant with parking right next to the fortress
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Menno Fo NL
Erlangen, Germany193 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
Masmak Fort is a nice way to learn about the history of Saudi Arabia and the Najd region.
The building is beautiful and the explanation of what one can see is good
We spend 1 hour in and around.
At the square next to the fort a nice restaurant is located where coffee or tea w dates are served
Written January 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jess B
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
Beautiful and historical site both day and night. Spent a couple of hours here to visit the Al Masmak museum, grab a small bite to eat and watch the sunset as the mosque was calling people to prayer. Highly recommend (free)
Written October 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Louis
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates137 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
This is a really nice place for a short visit – the architectural structure of the castle is well preserved and gives nice glimpse how it was 150 years ago. Its free of charge, only parking lot costs 5 SAR if you like to park there. Many photos inside show the history of this place and about the 40 man that conqueros the castle lead by Abdelazis to give starting point of nowadays KSA.
Written August 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hormiga022
Cordoba, Argentina124 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This is a great place to go and learn about the history of Saudi Arabia. You will also learn about the main city of Riyadh.

Also, you will find out that the castle is still built-in with the original raw materials. One of their kind.
Written September 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kemeny
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia2,013 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Business
One of the oldest historical monuments in the city, therefore it shall be visited if you are in Riyadh. You can learn about the history of the country and the establishment of the Emirate of Riyadh. The fortress played an integral role in the Unification of Saudi Arabia, with the Battle of Riyadh, one of the most important conflicts of the Saudi unification. Various exhibitions can be found in the fortress.
Written November 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KGB777
Singapore, Singapore41,257 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
This is one of the few sites to take in when visiting Riyadh. The fortress looks like it has been recently restored and is in quite good condition. A few displays inside on various aspects of Saudi Arabian history to take in. Definitely worth a look when you're in RIyadh.
Written March 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

campervanman_12
Newbury, UK20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
A free trip back into the history of the city. It’s not full of interactive exhibits, but is a chance to gain some understanding to the spectacular Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
If you are in the city of Riyadh it is one of the places you must visit.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tomashusek
Rusovce, Slovakia69 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a perfect first stop in Saudi Arabia. A well run small museum depicting the birth of SA. Few people, no crowds and you learn something. The story of Ryiadh itsef is incredible. To grow to more then 5 millions people when 80 years ago there were only 4000 families living here. We spent here and easy hour and continued on. A great start.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dbemol
Bern, Switzerland175 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Al-Masmak Fortress is an elegant building at night and equally impressive during the day. The visit is free (October 2023). The many items on display (daily utensils, weapons, clothes, maps) and simply being in this fortress of historical importance for the city of Riyadh and the entire country are well worth a visit. It's also worth strolling through the nearby souk, which covers a huge area
Google
Written October 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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AL MASMAK FORTRESS - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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