Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Qusaiba is a township that is situated 60 km north of Buraidah, the capital of the central region of Qassim. It has been selected by the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology as the geological window to shed light on the Kingdom’s geology through the 12th International Geoscience Conference.

“Qusaiba is considered one of the Kingdom’s most famous heritage villages,” said one of the conference’s organizers. It hosts the historic palace of Antara Bin Shadad on Qusaiba Mountains and it’s a witness of several geological ages.

“There are a number of fortresses and towers that were used during the times of wars about 300 years ago,” the organizer said while speaking to Al-Hayat Arabic daily. The place is also well known for the famous Mashqouq Palace.

Many people used to live in Qusaiba during the pre-Islamic period known as the age of ignorance when a number of poets emerged in this area including the famous Jahiliya poet Antara who mentioned Qusaiba in his poem with its old name Qu, the paper said.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage has embarked on a project to develop Qusaiba with the support of its municipality. The project includes, walkways, prayer places, an old souk and shops to sell traditional products and handicrafts.