The royal capital, Riyadh (Ryad), is a modern city built on the site of the first town captured by Ibn Saud, when he stormed the Masmak Fort in 1902 (a spearhead embedded in the main door is said to be the one with which Ibn Saud killed the Turkish governor). Apart from the fort and a few traditional Najdi palaces near Deera Square, little trace of the old town remains. The King’s Camel Races are held near the city in April or May.
Other places of interest in Najd are Al-Hair, Aneyzah, Diriya, Hail, Qassim, Shaib Awsat, Shaib Laha, Towqr, Tumair, Wadi-al-Jafi and Wadi Hanifa.