Palaces to be turned into cultural centers

The palaces of King Abdul Aziz will be made into cultural centers and will house pictures and documents depicting the unification of Saudi Arabia, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan bin Salman announced. Talking to the press following a meeting with a visiting delegation from Qatar on Tuesday, the prince said the move was part of a strategy adopted by the commission to revive the culture of historical civilizations and the national history of the Kingdom.He said the commission would cooperate with all government and private institutions including the Ministry of Culture and Information to contribute to efforts aimed at turning palaces into cultural entities. “Many Saudis relive the unification efforts of the founder through history books. They have not seen the villages of the historic locations that witnessed the epic. We are trying to make these palaces into cultural centers where citizens may be able to relive the history of their great leader,” he said.King Abdul Aziz had a number of palaces in various towns and cities of different sizes and buildings of a particular architecture that were not only used for his accommodation but also used as guest houses and meeting places. Some of them were built for administrative and security purposes such as Al-Dawadmi Palace.Some palaces were reconstructed or repaired to house the government such as Shobra Palace in Taif, Shada Palace in Abha, Khozam Palace in Jeddah and the palace in Kharj.King Abdul Aziz prepared the palaces with modern equipment and security cadres, especially those on the Haj route including Al-Dawadmi Palace, which was equipped with wire communications tools.Many of the palaces built outside the big towns and cities were used to supply travelers with food and fuel, especially visitors coming from outside the country.King Abdul Aziz Palace in Makkah, which was built in 1944 for the king to receive the Haj delegations, was recently rehabilitated and refurbished.