Taif one of the most important tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia, this city nicknamed the City of Roses reflects a unique harmony that combines many diverse landmarks, to satisfy the tastes of all its visitors.
Taif is located in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a population of about 1,750,00 people and Taif has a great place in the hearts of tourists, everyone who visited it enjoyed watching its wonderful parks and various entertainment places as well as cultural theaters.
Souk Okaz
The most famous historical monuments in the city of Taif, played a distinguished role in the history of Arabic poetry before Islam, the market was a forum for poetic dialogue in one of the richest eras in the history of literature and Arab culture. Shoppers in Taif can find exquisite handicrafts, ornaments, and other goods in the old market.
Al Hada Area
The city of Taif is famous for many open tourist places amidst the wonderful nature, and one of the most prominent parks in Taif is the Al-Hada area located on the First Ring Road, and it is famous for the presence of the Al-Hada cable car, and many recreational parks, such as the tourist village of Al-Kar, which is full of recreational games, skating halls, restaurants, and shops, and the Taif cable car takes you on an exciting journey to enjoy the most beautiful view of the area from above.
The Taif cable car journey starts from the top of Jabal Al-Hada, more precisely from its upper station at Ramada Al-Hada Hotel to the lower station at the bottom of Mount Kara with a length of 4.2 km.
National Museum in Taif
It a place that showcases the ancient life before technology in Saudi Arabia, there you will find items that used in different professions besides old cars, and other interesting materials used by the Bedouins in the desert.
The museum contains: museum exhibition halls, photography laboratories, restoration laboratories and laboratory, library: and includes a collection of specialized books in addition to some periodicals and bulletins, and a visiting exhibition hall.
Shafa area
Al-Shafa area is the second most important tourist place in Taif after Al-Hada area, and it characterized by its moderate atmosphere, resulting from its location, which rises above sea level for more than 2500 m, its mountainous nature, and its extended fertile valleys, which abound in fruit, vegetable and rose farms, so we find the Al-Shifa area famous for making the most expensive types of perfumes, bee honey, oral ghee and others.
The tourist area of Al-Shafa is about 28 km from the city of Taif, and it easy to reach, as it connects it with a highway and dual road with the city of Taif, but we note that this road very crowded during the summer, for the tourist flow to this picturesque area, which teeming with many cities, recreational facilities, and distinctive markets, so the Shifa area is considered one of the important parks of Taif.
Door Beams
One of the most important landmarks of Taif, Bab Al-Hazm or Bab Al-Jabal is located in the historical city of Taif, overlooking the Al-Aqiq neighborhood, which is close to the old city wall. Bab al-Hazm was once called Bab Shubra because it overlooks the famous Shubra Palace and is close to the site of the door.
Bab Al-Hazm is one of the three doors of the old wall of Taif, in addition to Bab Al-Ra’A and Bab Ibn Abbas that are currently at the entrances to the central area.
Shubra Palace
Shubra Historical Palace or Shubra Palace Museum is one of the historical palaces in the city of Taif. The Sharif Palace established by Ali Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Mueen bin Aoun Pasha in 1323 AH (1904 AD) and completed within two years and done in 1324 AH (1906 AD), it converted into a regional museum for Taif Governorate and opened to receive visitors in 1415 AH corresponding to 1995 AD.
King Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud used to take it as their palace when they visited the city of Taif, the palace consists of a basement floor topped by four floors in addition to external annexes and gardens., The palace consists of four floors and includes about 150 rooms, and has several entrances, and its main gate located on the western side and made of decorative wood.
The palace has four similar facades interspersed with columns made of light and stone, and in the main hall of the palace there a large double wooden staircase with a wonderful alabaster floor known as the “staircase” extends to the second floor, which has two wings that include large rooms and other small arches of its inner walls, columns and corners with colorful decoration in the form of plant leaves painted golden edges, and the windows and doors of the palace made of carved wood with artistic touches, and the palace ceilings wooden embroidered with decorative shapes and inscriptions, and the roof wall ends The palace has a predominantly Roman decoration. The palace is located on one of the large streets in the city of Taif, called Shubra Street.
Al-Rudaf Park
You cannot make a list of the most important tourist destinations in Taif without including Al-Rudaf Park, as it is one of the most important and beautiful parks in Taif ever. Al-Rudaf Park located south of the city of Taif on Shahar Road, and built on a large area, estimated at about 565 thousand meters2.
Inside Al Rudaf Park, you will spend the most enjoyable times with your family, where you will find more than 9 parks designed according to different styles, as well as sports fields, and a huge walkway with a length of 4,000 m2, a children’s play area, restaurants and cafes, and sessions on the lake, but of course not forgetting one of the most important landmarks of the Rudaf Park, which is the interactive 13,000-meter rump fountain2, which rises to more than 80 m.
Al Rudaf Park also has many important facilities, such as an environment and human center, a first aid center, a prayer room, toilets, and parking lots.
King Fahd Park
King Fahd Park in Taif one of the most beautiful and largest recreational parks in the city of Taif, and it considered one of the most important tourist places in Taif, preferred for families and suitable for all age groups, King Fahd Park in Taif established with the highest specifications and standards, and was provided with all service and vital facilities such as bathrooms and parking that can accommodate a large number of cars.
Sharif Taif Museum
The Sharif Museum dedicated to displaying precious archaeological discoveries that tell the history of the country, as it the best among several tourist places in Taif, as well as one of the most prominent museums that include various exhibits that give visitors a historical lesson that not missed, there exhibits related to the history of the country and a variety of artifacts.
On the other hand, this museum provides visitors with an opportunity to see exhibits that introduce them to the military history of the country and other exhibits that look at aspects of the city’s culture such as handicrafts and traditional clothes.
Taif Zoo
If you are going out with your family, do not miss the Taif Zoo, the most famous and popular of Taif parks. Taif Zoo attracts thousands from within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as from the Gulf countries, because it contains many distinctive activities, in addition to its various animals and birds, as there is an open theater inside it for holding competitions and various entertainment programs, as well as a restaurant area, and documentary film halls about animals, most notably dinosaurs.
Inside the zoo in Taif, there is also a distinctive collection of children’s games, shops, and stalls that sell some fast food and drinks, and there are vans to help the elderly watch animals.
Turkish Castle
Another historical attraction is the Turkish fortress that was once an Ottoman military base, the castle is located near the rock of sculptures, and legends mention that Lawrence of Arabia fought here in 1917.
Dahlawi Palace
Located on Tirmidhi Street, Dahlawi Palace is another beautiful palace in Taif, which was home to Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal and the late King Fahd during the summer. , consists of three floors built in the style of local Hijazi architecture that takes into account the arts of Ottoman engineering and Islamic arts in the construction of palaces. The palace also characterized by local stone formed in environmental colors, and on columns, arches, stone and marble frames.
This palace built on agricultural land that made it characterized by a rustic style, and the windows of the palace characterized by their large size, which a milestone in its circular openings, and it also characterized by the presence of open external roofs and balconies that engraved in aesthetic forms, and the number of windows reached about 150 taking harmonious engineering spaces.
The palace famous for the presence of three diwans characterized by good environmental materials, the number of rooms of the palace 35 rooms characterized by varying sizes, including large and small, and annexes on the western and northern side, not less than 15 rooms, while the toilets predominantly built in the Turkish character, which takes separate bathrooms outside each group of rooms that work with hot steam, as Turkish baths considered a civilized character taken by most of the cities of the Hijaz.
King Abdullah Taif Park
This wonderful park located east of the city of Taif, and built on an area of 150 thousand meters2. King Abdullah Taif Park characterized by its elegant coordination between green spaces and wonderful sessions for families, with the availability of a large number of sports fields, as well as many recreational areas for children, as well as important facilities, such as toilets and mosques.
King Abdullah Taif Park, which one of the distinctive parks of Taif, considered the most enjoyable outlet for the residents of the city of Taif and its suburbs, and families spend many hours inside, especially during the summer, so we find the streets leading to it mostly, facing heavy traffic.
Saiysad National Park
When visiting Saisad National Park in Taif, it noted that its picturesque geographical nature forms a kind of nature reserve, as the park teeming with mountains, forests, plains, springs, streams, and many wild plants and animals.
If you want to enjoy the natural places of tourism in Taif, you should head to the Siysad National Park to enjoy the peaceful nature either on the banks of the streams, or in the umbrella breaks. It worth mentioning that the Saisad National Park named after the Sayyid Dam, which ordered built by Caliph Muawiya bin Abi Sufyan, and which still standing in its old form until now. Inside Saisad National Park, you will find many sports fields, recreational games, and all facilities such as bathrooms, mosques, and grills, so many consider it one of the best parks in Taif.
Taif Cable Car
The Taif cable car the most important landmark of Taif and one of its basic features, and it forms an air link at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level between two stations, the upper station, which the top of the mountain of the Al-Hada region, and the lower station, which the Al-Kar area, where the distance between the two stations about 4 km, and the starting station of the Taif cable car or the lower station what known as the tourist village of Al-Kar,
Which includes many entertainment centers among the vast green spaces of a water park, sand games, summer skiing games, climbing games, mazes, swimming pools, car racing tracks, running shops, restaurants and many more, where you will be able to spend the most beautiful times of fun and fun with the family.
