Commissioned in 1865 by Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud, it was completed in 1895 following the takeover of the town by the Rashidi dynasty.

[1] The fortress was the main theatre for the Battle of Riyadh in 1902, which marked the prelude to the unification of Saudi Arabia.

[4] It was completed in 1895 by Emir of Riyadh, 'Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman under the reign of Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Rashid, the ruler of the Emirate of Jabal Shammar and head of the House of Rasheed, who had wrested control of the city from the local House of Saud, who later went into exile.

It was built with four watchtowers and thick walls, with a foundation of stone blocks, lying in the center of Riyadh, in the old city, part of the modern Deira district.

[5][6] It was used as a munitions warehouse from 1902 to 1938 by King Abdulaziz before he moved his court to then newly built Murabba Palace.

[8] Their vision was realized in 1995 when the Ministry of Education and the Supreme Commission for the Development of Riyadh converted the building into a museum, making it an integral part of Saudi heritage.