Shaqra

Shaqra is a Najdi town on the edge of the Nafud, and its old quarter, Al Shaqra Al Qadimah, has been restored: mud-brick walls given a white lime finish in places, wooden doors, covered lanes, courtyard houses, a mosque and the remains of the town wall and its gates. Date gardens surround it. The town was a stop on routes across Najd and had a reputation for scholarship. Unlike Ushaiger nearby, parts of the old quarter remain inhabited or in use, which gives it a different feel. The Shaqra winter festival and the date season bring activity. It is usually visited on the same trip as Ushaiger.

What you actually see

• The restored old quarter - the mud-brick and whitewashed houses.
• Town wall and gates - the surviving defensive fabric.
• Covered lanes - the roofed streets built against the sun.
• Date gardens - the palm plantations around the town.

When to go

November to March; summer is severe. The date harvest in late summer and the winter festival bring the town to life. Mornings are best for photographs in the lanes.

Honest expectations

Restoration is extensive and much of the surface is new work. Parts of the quarter are private and not open. Interpretation is minimal. Shaqra is a two-hour drive from Riyadh and usually combined with Ushaiger.

Nearby

Ushaiger lies close; Riyadh is southeast.