Al Hukm Palace
Al-Hukm Palace (Arabic: قصر الحكم, romanized: Qaṣr al-Ḥukm, lit. 'Governance Palace'), also known as the al-ʽAdl Palace (Arabic: قصر العدل, romanized: Qaṣr al-ʿAdl, lit. 'Justice Palace'), so called from the public square it overlooks from the south, is a historic palace and a popular cultural heritage landmark in the ad-Dirah neighbourhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located directly opposite to Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in the Qasr al-Hukm District. It is the historic site where tribal leaders and members of the Saudi royal family have been pledging allegiance to the country's political leadership. Built in 1747, it was known as Ibn Dawwas Palace until the 1820s, when Turki bin Abdullah, after gaining control of Najd, shifted the royal family's center of power from Diriyah to the walled town of Riyadh due to the former's severe destruction in a brutal siege during the Ottoman–Wahhabi War of 1818 as well as the town’s Ottoman sacking in 1821.
| Al-Hukm Palace | |
|---|---|
| Native name Arabic: قصر الحكم | |
Al Hukm Palace as viewed from Deera Square in 2022, connected to one of the two covered passageways that link the palace with Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque | |
| Location | Al-Imam Turki ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad Road, Qasr al-Hukm District, al-Dirah, Riyadh 12652, Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 24°37′48″N 46°42′39″E |
| Area | 11,500 square metres (1.15 ha) |
| Built | 1747 |
| Built for | Deham bin Dawas al-Shalaan |
| Rebuilt | 1824 1912 1992 |
| Restored by | Turki bin Abdullah (1824) Abdulaziz ibn Saud (1912) Salman bin Abdulaziz (1992) |
Once the administrative headquarters of the fortress-city within the erstwhile walls, it was built by Daham bin Dawwas in 1747 and is the oldest structure in Riyadh that was razed and rebuilt on numerous occasions over the course of time. It was also the official residences of several royals of the first and second Saudi states and today serves as the main office of the governor of Riyadh.