The AlJishi House in Qatif's Ancient Fortified City

The Front View of the AlJishi Family House, one of the last remaining buildings of Qatif's ancient Fortified City. (Taken August 2013).

The AlJishi family building is one of the last remaining ruins of the ancient Fortified City of Qatif, known as the Qatif Castle (rebuilt by the #Ottomans in the 16th century). Although it seems as a solid-structure from the outside, the Five-Story Complex used to house a couple of families, each with their own house, but all are connected on a Central spacious Open Courtyard. This typical Oriental architecture mirrors the social requirements, copes with Islamic traditions, and releases on the raw materials that are found in the coastal oasis. 

The interior open Courtyard of the AlJishi Family House in Qatif's Ancient Fortified City resemebles the one in this image. (Source)

The 400 years-old building continued to be inhabited until the beginning of the 21st century, when it was evacuated due to the need of extensive renovation. Sadly, the government the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has continued to remain negligent of such Ancient Relics. My Father & his family enjoyed their lives intimately here amidst lovely ornaments created by inscriptions of Islamic calligraphy and craved wood which decorated doors, walls and ceilings.