After visiting the museum, we took a walk around the men’s market. We started in a rug shop and had great fun looking and we each walked out with a rug or two. But the bright colors were just so attractive. Now of course, I need to get them in a suitcase back to Dubai, and then the US.
We also had a tour of a shop that sold the men’s head scarf, called a kaffiyeh and the owner showed us how he made the black bands that hold the scarf in place, which is called a iqal. This is made from camel hair.
From the shopping we went to the National Museum, again not allowed to photograph with my camera, only the phone. Inside the museum was a prayer room, which shouldn’t have been surprising. They are in most public places, in airports, etc. I find it interesting when we fly over because there is a function of the entertainment center that counts down the minutes to the prayer time for where you are located.
After our museum visit it was time for a traditional lunch, which included eating on the floor. There are large mats that are used to hold the food. I decided if I really wanted to commit to a weight loss program, I would institute this at home. I would either lookse weight or become more flexible!
Our guide explained that it is normal to have Arabic coffee before and after the meal, but as we were running late, we only had it after the meal. Also the server brought in some burning incense – Oud wood – that is passed under the clothing and around an individual to mask the food smell. I found the entire culutre where ver we went had the smell of the oud incense.
After lunch it was off to experience the Sky Bridge. The entrance we took was through a Four Seasons hotel AND an upscale shopping center, which we didn’t get to experience!
After the Sky Bridge we drove to Diriyah, the birthplace of the First Saudi State founded by Al-Saud dynasty in 1744. It fell in 1818 during the Wahhabi war. The buildings looked amazing and would have been wonderful to photograph, but again phones but not cameras were allowed. As it was after sunset and the pathways through the buildings looked uneven, I decided to sit out the tour.
Another Saudi meal finished off our trip to Riyadh. Tomorrow we are off to AlUla.
