Palace of Civilizations

The Palace of Civilizations or al-Maqar Palace is one of the heritage palaces located in an-Namas Governorate in the Aseer Province, southwest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The palace contains over a thousand manuscripts of the Holy Quran, transcribed by a thousand scholars, and it houses approximately 18,000 artifacts reflecting Islamic heritage.

The palace is renowned as one of the foremost archaeological tourist attractions in Aseer Province, attracting tourists and visitors to this building with its distinctive design and form. Additionally, its exceptional location atop the peaks of the Sarawat Mountains adds to its appeal. The palace spans an area of five hundred m and consists of four floors, featuring seven domes on its roof representing the continents of the world.

The construction of the Palace of Civilizations is attributed to a resident of the region, Mohammed Bin Ali al-Maqar, who spent twenty-seven years constructing it. It features a unique architectural style inspired by Andalusian design and the history of Islamic civilizations. The palace boasts twenty facades and approximately thirty corners, with 365 columns distributed according to the number of days of the year. Its appearance reflects the Umayyad and Abbasid civilizations, divided according to the diversity of Islamic styles. The first floor of the palace represents Umayyad, Andalusian, and Abbasid civilizations, while the second floor showcases landmarks of Islamic civilization from China in the east to West Africa. The third floor represents the civilization of the Islamic world in the West, including around eighty thousand manuscripts.

The palace contains about two million Islamic Andalusian, Umayyad, and Abbasid carvings covering the corners of the building's four floors, in addition to about three million Islamic botanical decorations. Over two million natural stones from the Aseer Mountains were used in these decorations. The palace houses thousands of manuscripts and ancient heritage pieces. The rear courtyard of the palace includes residential units and lodges overlooking the Tihama Plain.

The Palace of Civilizations serves as one of the most prominent sites for documenting Islamic heritage. It houses the original copy of a manuscript titled Arabic Poems, dating back to the year 731, as well as various historical manuscripts in good condition, written with ambergris ink, and its letters are formed with pure gold water. One of these manuscripts dates back to the year 724.

The palace also houses an ancient stone carving dating back to the year 757, as well as an antique sword from the pre-Islamic era. The Hall of Coins and Gemstones has recorded ancient numismatic history, featuring old coins and minting, including metallic coins stamped with a minting date tracing back to the year 705.

Next to the Palace of Civilizations, there are many residential units designated for tourists. On the western side of the palace, there is a zoo that includes a majority of predatory and domestic animals captured from the slopes near the heritage village of al-Maqar.