Barzan Palace

Barzan Palace
قصر برزان (Arabic)
The surviving towers of Barzan Palace in Ha'il
Barzan Palace in 2019
TypePalace
LocationHa'il, Saudi Arabia
History
BuiltConstruction began in 1808
Built byPrince Muhammad bin Abdul Muhsin Al Ali
Site notes
Height70 ft (21 m)
Area300,000 m2 (3,200,000 sq ft)
Architectural style
Traditional Najdi architecture
Restored2025 (surviving towers)

Barzan (Arabic: قصر برزان) was a historical palace in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. Its construction was begun in 1808 by Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Muhsin Al Ali. The palace was completed during the rule of the second Rashidi amir, Talal bin Abdullah.

Barzan Palace stood about 70 feet (21 m) tall, consisted of three floors, and covered an area of approximately 300,000 square meters. The first floor featured the reception halls, gardens, and kitchens. The second floor housed diplomatic guests, and the third floor was occupied by the royal family. It was located near Barzan souq.

Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia ordered the palace destroyed after he had ousted the last Al Rashid emir from power in 1921.

Heritage and restoration

Barzan Palace forms part of the wider Barzan heritage area in central Ha'il, which also includes Barzan Souq, A'arif Fort, Qishlah Palace, and the traditional Barzan district.

The surviving Barzan Towers and remaining wall sections are regarded as some of Ha'il's earliest historic sites. The towers stand beside the Barzan Grand Mosque and reach approximately 12 meters (39 ft) in height. Their design reflects traditional Najdi architecture through the use of local building materials and defensive architectural elements.

In 2025, the Heritage Commission completed a restoration and rehabilitation project for the towers to preserve their architectural heritage and prepare the site to receive visitors.

References

  1. ↑ Muhammad Suwaed (30 October 2015). Historical Dictionary of the Bedouins. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-4422-5451-0.
  2. 1 2 Noaime, Emad; Alnaim, Mohammed Mashary; Bay, Mohammed Abdulfattah; Albaqawy, Ghazy Abdullah; Abdelhafez, Mohamed Hssan Hassan; Elkhayat, Khaled (17 November 2022). "The Rehabilitation of the Historic Barzan Traditional Market and Its Impact on Cultural Tourism in Hail City". Land. 11 (11): 2058. doi:10.3390/land11112058. ISSN 2073-445X.
  3. ↑ Albaqawy, Ghazy Abdullah; Alnaim, Mohammed Mashary; Bay, Mohammed Abdulfattah; Touahmia, Mabrouk (5 January 2023). "Assessment of Saudi Arabia's Classification and Selection Criteria for Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Barzan Heritage Area in Hail City". Sustainability. 15 (2): 1015. doi:10.3390/su15021015. ISSN 2071-1050.
  4. ↑ "Barzan Palace: Iconic Heritage Towers of Hail | VisitSaudi". www.visitsaudi.com. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 Al-awwd, Motab (20 August 2025). "أبراج برزان.. 217 عاماً من التاريخ والحياة في قلب حائل". Okaz (in Arabic). Retrieved 3 September 2026.