We saw Al-Masmak fort the first weekend we spent in Saudi Arabia, but were unable to go in because it was a “men only” day, and we never managed to get back on a “family only” day, probably because the hours are inconvenient and the traffic and parking a nightmare in the old part of Riyadh. But we still wanted to visit it before we leave on Sunday, and after consulting various websites in both English and Arabic, we determined that Thursday morning was for families, and we made the trip into town. We toured it – it was very nicely done and quite interesting, but when we were leaving saw the sign outside, which said Thursdays were for men only… The director had just let me in (thank goodness because this was our last chance to see it), but now I know why a large group of men were looking at me strangely, and in fact why they were even there without their wives.

The Masmak is a clay and mud-brick fort built in 1865, with four watchtowers and thick walls, founded on stone blocks, lying in the center of Riyadh, in the old quarter. This building played a major part in the kingdom's history, as it was here that the recapture of Riyadh, led by Ibn Saud, occurred on January 14, 1902. (after Wikipedia)