Dome Mosque
Large white dome and minaret.
Heritage Commission — CC BY-SA 4.0 · الرادود السعودي علي غريب — CC0 · محمد الفهيد — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Richard Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Heritage Commission — CC BY-SA 4.0 · النهى على — CC BY-SA 4.0 · FirasHaddad75 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Unknown — Public domain
A historic fortress on the north side of Hofuf's Al-Kut quarter, also called the Dome Palace or Al-Kut Palace, and the main Ottoman-era monument in Al-Ahsa. Building began in 1555 with a mosque crowned by a dome, and over the next century it grew into a castle with a prison and a bathhouse. The palace served as an Ottoman military base. The Saudi governor Ibrahim ibn Ufaysan restored it in 1801, and some historians believe it is named after him. King Abdulaziz took it on 13 April 1913 when he brought Al-Ahsa under his rule. It covers 16,500 square metres and blends Islamic and military architecture: thick mud walls and defensive towers, with the Dome Mosque inside, its large white dome and minaret, and arcades around the courtyard. The tourism commission announced in 2019 that the restoration of every part of the palace was complete. Check opening times locally before you go; it pairs easily with the nearby Qaisariya souq in central Hofuf.
Large white dome and minaret.
An Ottoman mud fortress.
Around the courtyard.
North of the Al-Kut quarter, Hofuf
Some historians believe it is named after the Saudi governor Ibrahim ibn Ufaysan, who restored it in 1801.
