Old Riyadh

Old Riyadh (Arabic: الرياض القديمة, romanized: ar-Riyāḍ al-Qadīmah) is an umbrella term used for a loosely defined region that primarily lies in the southern portion of modern-day Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, encompassing neighborhoods and settlements that emerged from ruins of Hajr al-Yamamah^[1][2] in late 16th century, the erstwhile walled town (today Qasr Al Hukm District) enclosed within the defensive fortifications and its immediate vicinity prior to its demolition in 1950,^[3] and villages and former towns located along the outskirts of Riyadh (such as Irqah and Manfuhah) that got incorporated into the metropolis following multiple phases of expansion and modernization between the 1950s and 1970s. To some extent, neighborhoods excluded during Riyadh's rapid urbanization during the same period are also categorized as part of old districts, with most of them situated in the modern downtown.^[4]