Travel ideas for Saudi Arabia - unique sights, worth Guinness records

Almost a third of the Arabian Peninsula is occupied by Rub al-Khali Desert, and its hottest area is situated in Saudi Arabia. Temperature record, which was placed in the desert, was 56°C. Taking into account that no more than 35 mm of rainfall fall in the desert yearly, this fact doesn’t seem surprising. Rub al-Khali Desert is considered one of the most inclement on the planet; foot researchers succeeded to overcome it for the first time only in 2013. Desert area of 650,000 km² is situated in four different states: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE and Oman.
Main attractions of the desert are sand dunes, which can reach a height of 250 meters. Sand contains a significant portion of the iron oxide, that’s why it has orange and red hues. Literally, Rub al-Khali can be translated from Arabic as ‘a desert place’ that fully reflects the reality. You can travel the desert a few days, but won’t find any signs of life on its territory. There are rare oases in the outskirts of the Rub al-Khali. Rich oil deposits found in the desert are of great value to humanity. ... Complete sights collection

Mecca can boast the heaviest skyscraper in the world and the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, Abraj Al Bait. It’s an intricate and incredibly beautiful architectural complex of 601 meters height. The main decoration of the facade is the clock set at a height of over 400 meters; the diameter of the dial is 43 meters.
One of six towers is occupied by the hotel, which annually welcomes hundreds of thousands of pilgrims arriving to Mecca from all over the world. The architectural complex is home to the upscale shopping center and hundreds of stores; its large-scale infrastructure includes parking for 800 cars and two helipads.
This unique skyscraper was completed in 2012. It became the world champion on a number of parameters. First of all, the complex is the heaviest in the world and the second in height; it’s only behind the Burj Khalifa. The planet's tallest hotel is a part of the architectural structure, as well as the highest clock tower. This large-scale architectural complex is located in close proximity to Al-Haram, which is considered a major religious landmark of Mecca. ... Complete sights collection

The world's tallest hotel is located in Mecca. The location of the Raffles Makkah Palace Hotel is the 120-storey skyscraper complex Abraj Al-Bait Towers, whose height is 601 meters. The Abraj Al-Bait Towers complex includes some tall and beautiful buildings. The tallest and largest clock in the world is mounted on the main tower. The hotel offers its services exceptionally to the supporters of the Muslim faith, annually visited by thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
The hotel is located very close to the Masjid Al Haram mosque. Guests can admire the rooms with the panoramic view of the Kaabu. The whole-wall panoramic windows are the mandatory attributes of all the rooms of the hotel. In addition, there are separate gym rooms for men and women. While sporting, it is also possible to enjoy the panorama of the famous sights of Mecca. The Raffles Makkah Palace hotel stands out for its calm and peaceful atmosphere, the guests have access to many comfortable recreation areas, where they can read a book and simply enjoy the panorama of the city. ... Complete sights collection

In Jeddah is the beautiful fountain, which was named in honor of King Fahd and opened in 1983. After opening, the unique fountain threw the water jet at the height of 120 meters and was recognized as the highest fountain in the world in 1983. Already two years later, the fountain was modernized and the height of the water jet reached 312 meters, thanks to the new mechanical constructions, which is still a world record. The grand fountain was built during the reign of King Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz, whose honor he was named.
Although the age of the fountain is more than 30 years, he is not only surprised by the impressive shape, but also by the technical characteristics. Every second, 18.8 tons of water are found above the fountain, which is pushed out of the only powerful nozzle. The speed at which the water swells itself is 375 kilometers an hour. Since the fountain is located near the Persian Gulf and works with the salty water, its operation is made considerably more difficult.
As early as 1987, the experts noted that the fountain construction was damaged by the corrosion and the fountain itself was on the verge of destruction. The steel pipes of the fountain have been replaced by the shortest deadlines and are complemented by special anode protection, which prevents corrosion and allows millions of people from all over the world to graze on the highest fountains on earth. Many travelers strive to see the fountain in the windless day when the water cascade transitions the regular shape and height of the world famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. ... Complete sights collection

The largest mosque in the world is located in Mecca. On the territory of the Al-Masjid al-Haram Mosque is the most important Islamic sanctuary - the Kaaba. As the legend tells, the construction of the first mosque near the great sanctuary began in 638. The mosque, which is visited by millions of believers today, was mentioned in the historical documents for the first time in 1570. The mosque area is 357 000 sqm, and the height of the minarets reaches 95 meters. Four huge gates serve as an entrance into the mosque. In addition, the mosque was equipped with 44 entrances all round.
Apart from the Kaaba, the mosque also preserves many other religious sanctuaries, including the stone 'makan Ibrahim' and the holy source Zam-zam. The last major reconstruction of the mosque was completed in 2012, its territory is still 400 square meters larger. Although today more than a million people can be unique on the mosque terrarium, the mosque can not receive all the pilgrims during the religious holidays.
Recently, the adjacent territory was also reconstructed for carrying out the religious events. Only 2.5 million people can be found within the mosque and the adjacent squares. The huge popularity of the religious monument has brought to the perfection of the surrounding infrastructure, near the mosque is the largest skyscraper complex in the world - located Abraj Al Bait Towers. In some towers are the chic hotels, from whose rooms one can enjoy the panorama of one of the most majestic religious buildings ... Complete sights collection

The most recognizable architectural landmark of Saudi Arabia is a complex Abraj Al Bait. That’s the world's heaviest network of buildings. This complex also features impressive height; it’s the highest in the country. Towers stream upwards for 558.7 meters. Abraj Al Bait is in Mecca, in the vicinity of Al-Haram and other Islamic shrines. The complex of buildings houses several hotels that each year welcome more than 5 million pilgrims from around the world. In addition, there is a large shopping mall and various dining places.
Among the main design features of the architectural complex it’s worth noting helipads on the roof. The highest in the complex is the Royal Tower, it is decorated with a huge clock face. The dial diameter is 43 meters. A huge clock is located at an altitude of 400 meters. It has 4 dials oriented precisely to the cardinal directions.
Construction of the architectural complex was completed in 2012. Today, along with significant historical and religious sites of Mecca, it is one of the most popular tourist sites. There are several options to look at the Mecca from a height. You can rent one of the rooms in the hotel and enjoy the attractions, or reserve a table by the window in one of the restaurants and have a romantic dinner. In addition, there is an amazing Islamic Museum and the Lunar Observation Center, which are also open to the public. ... Complete sights collection

The Kaaba is the main Muslim shrine, which during hadj, gathers pilgrims all over the world. The Kaaba is an unusual and very harmonious temple of a cubic form, the walls of the temple are painted in black and adorned with elaborate painting with gilding. The height of the main Islamic shrine is 13.1 meters. For Muslims Kaaba is a kind of reference point, it is just the side, to which they turn their eyes every day during prayer. Until now, the exact date of the construction of the temple, as well as its founder, is for certain unknown.
At the beginning of the 7th century, the Kaaba underwent the first major reconstruction, each year the number of pilgrims became larger, so the area around the church gradually expanded. The shrine repeatedly suffered from floods and fires, after which its complete restructuring was required. According to some reports, during the time of its existence, the church was completely rebuilt 12 times. The Kaaba is one of the most inaccessible Islamic shrines, only a limited number of high-ranking representatives of religious communities can enter the temple.
For ordinary believers a huge area was equipped around the temple. On certain days they can come as close as possible to the temple and touch its walls. For adherents of other religious currents, the shrine is inaccessible. The area of free space around the temple today is about 193,000 square meters, at a time up to 400 000 people can accommodate in this area. In the period of the major religious holidays, hundreds of accidents are always registered on the square because of a huge number of parishioners. ... Complete sights collection

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried, is the major religious symbol for Muslims. According to the history, the first mosque was built here at the times of the prophet’s life. Later the modest holy place was set up enormously under the authority of Islamic rulers. Today the mosque stands out not only by the enormous size but also by the adorable design. This effect was made due to the usage of noble marble breeds and precious stones.
There is no accurate date of the mosque building that we see now. The first references to it are unknown but the first mentions of it date from the 12th century. Apart from the Prophet Muhammad, two first Muslim Khalifa - Umar and Abu Baker, were buried here. At the beginning, the mosque has executed a wide range of functions: from important social and cultural meetings to the court and school.
Nowadays Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque is the major attraction for thousands of pilgrims from the whole world. At once here could come up to 600 000 believers. However, during the haj, the number of believers is much bigger. Every year more than one million of people come here to pray. The mosque is well-equipped: it has large stone “umbrellas” which protect the believers not only from the rain and but also from the streams of the strong sun. The height of the minaret is 105 meters. It is incredibly beautiful and more than that it is appealing from the architectural point of view. Only adherence to Muslim confession could visit this outstanding spiritual landmark. ... Complete sights collection