Muhayris Palace is a historic palace located north of the city of al-Mubarraz in al-Ahsa Governorate, affiliated with the Eastern Province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a small military fortress built for surveillance and protection in 1794.
History of Muhayris Palace
Imam Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Bin Saud, the grandson of the founder of the First Saudi State and its third Imam, ordered the construction of Muhayris Palace. It was built as a military fortress to protect the people of al-Ahsa. The palaces and forts in the Eastern Province resembled the architectural designs in Najd, being constructed using bricks, mud, and large quantities of stones. Wood was used to create domes, arches, hollow walls, and Mashrabiyas (decorative enclosed balconies), combining both grand and simple architectural forms.
Design of Muhayris Palace
Muhayris Palace was constructed from mud, with its interior ceiling made from tree trunks and palm fronds. The palace features several rooms, a circular tower consisting of two floors, and a water well. The last known use of the palace was as an ammunition storage. The small fortress’s exterior facades are characterized by the regularity of their horizontal layout, with the walls tapering inward as they rise, reaching a height of 10.4 m.
Development of Muhayris Palace
On May 21, 2014, a development project was proposed for the entire site of the historic Muhayris Palace, including the adjacent municipal square, with a total project area of 27,000 m and an estimated cost of between SAR6 to SAR8 million. The development included the rehabilitation and restoration of Muhayris Palace using the original materials, along with the addition of public facilities, green spaces, and some commercial buildings.
Events hosted at Muhayris Palace
The historic park of Muhayris Palace hosted the "Jadat al-Funun" event, an open platform stretching four hundred m in length and ten m in width, designed to showcase the archaeological and cultural depth of al-Ahsa. The event embraced various forms of artistic expression, including painting, photography, crafts, and sculpture. It provided a space for nurturing talents of all ages in the arts of painting, free-form sculpting, and Arabic calligraphy.
On December 1, 2022, the open stage at the historic Muhayris Palace hosted an operetta showcasing love for the homeland, along with comedic and social plays. This was part of "al-Ahsa Oasis" festival, organized by the Heritage Commission in collaboration with al-Ahsa Governorate and al-Ahsa Municipality, which ran for thirty days.
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