Marid Castle

About this place

Marid Castle is a historic fortress on a hill in Dumat al-Jandal, in Saudi Arabia's northern Al-Jawf region, about 50 km from Sakaka. From about 620 m above sea level it looks over the old town and palm groves. It is Al-Jawf's main landmark, with conical towers and walls where stone meets mud brick. It dates to the 1st century AD, judging by Nabataean and Roman pottery found in excavations. The earliest written mention comes from the 3rd century, when Queen Zenobia of Palmyra tried and failed to take it and the Ablaq fortress at Tayma. She is credited with the famous line «Marid rebelled and Ablaq stood proud», from which the medieval geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi derives its name. The castle stayed in use in early Islamic times and on into the modern era. The lower floor is stone and the upper mud brick, with four conical towers about 12 m high, added at different times. Inside are two wells and rooms for guards and lookouts, and a large stone wall with lookout slits and two entrances surrounds it all. Guides put the climb to the top at about half an hour on a stone stair, rewarded by wide views over the town. Bring water and sturdy shoes, as the steps are uneven. The Mosque of Omar ibn al-Khattab lies right at the foot of the castle, beside the old Al-Dar' quarter, so they fit one walk; the Columns of Rajajil are 34 km away in a straight line. The light is finest in early morning or before sunset, especially in the cooler months, as summers are fierce.