Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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The phase of the compact pattern witnessed the development of three new walled
quarters, all within the confines of the original Abo-Reeshah's wall {Harm Abo-Reeshah).
The oldest of the three walled quarters was that of Al-Hisian which was built during the
second half of the eleventh century Hegira (c. 1630-1680 A.D). Al-Hisian wall was built to
shield Huraimla's residents during a time of increased threat by outsiders. The 437-meter
wall encircled an area of 12,188 square meters (1.2 hectares) and housed all of Huraimla's
inhabitants leaving the farmed area unwalled. Meanwhile, after resurgence of family feuds,
a group of families moved to an area to the northwest of Al-Hisian's quarter and within the
Hami Abo-Reeshah. The new settlement comprised two quarters, Al-Barahah and Al-
Igdah (literally the knot), combined formed a much larger area than the old Al-Hisian
(compact) quarter and offered ample area for future expansion (Figure 8.3). A wall was
constructed around the two new quarters and was named Al-Igdah. Al-Igdah's wall was
462 meters long and encircled an area of 12,312 square meters (1.2 hectares).
As Huraimla's population increased, the process of building new quarters continued,
attesting to an era of prosperity rarely matched by its counterparts in the region. Four
nuclei of new quarters appeared during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries H. Al-
Malqa and Garrashah were built during the period when Huraimla hosted the prominent
reformer, Mohammed Bin Abdul-Wahhab whose efforts to rejuvenate the pure beliefs of
Islam attracted interested students to the town (c. 1140sH/1740s.). Ibn Abdul-Wahhab's
house lies in this area. The period also witnessed the outcropping of another two new
quarters, Numailan and Al-Henini.
The twelfth century H. brought an outburst of attacks by outsiders. Huraimla's amir,
Hamad A1 Mubarak built a new, wider wall in an effort to offer all the scattered clusters
comprising Huraimla with one, combined wall. The new wall was named Al-jama'ah (or
group) connoting its grouping of the scattered walled areas of Al-Igdaha and AL-Hisian.
The Al-Jama'ah wall was built large enough to include a sufficient area of farmland, which
was sought to give residents security and a necessary supply of food. The Al-Jama'ah wall
was 1,550 meters long, and rimmed an area of 155,688 square meters (15.6 hectares) The
wall system also included thirteen watch towers and five gates. The wall served as the
town's major walled area for the coming two centuries until it fell to ruin during the early
fourteenth century H (c. 1900) and its remains were completely razed by Huraimla's
municipality in 1387H./1968 to allow for the expansion of the town.