Marid Castle (or Marid balance) is a historic military fortress located in the city of Dumat al-Jandal in the Al-Jawf region of Saudi Arabia, about 50 km from Sakaka. Built in the first century AD, it was first mentioned in the third century in the context of Queen Zenobia's campaign against Dumat al-Jandal and Tayma's rebellion, when her troops weren't able to capture the fortress.
The castle of Marid was named for its rebellion and insurrection against those trying to storm it, as stated by Yaqout al-Hamwi.
The castle is located on a hill rising to about 620 meters above sea level, and overlooks the city of Dumat al-Jandal, which is affiliated to the Al-Jawf region from the western side. That contributed to its importance, as the castle can oversee all parts of the town and observe any approaching friend or foe long before they arrive.
Marid fortress dates back to the first century. The oldest mention of it dates back to the third century AD when Queen Zenobia invaded Adumato (today's Dumat al-Jandal) and Tayma, but could not capture the fortress. Therefore she reportedly said, "Marid has rebelled, and Ablaq has glorified."
In 633 CE, Khalid ibn al-Walid annexed Dumat al-Jandal to the newly formed Islamic empire.
In 1853, Ha'il governor Talal Ibn Rashid damaged the castle with two cannons.
In 1909, Nawwaf Ibn Sha'lan besieged it for ten months until he could wrest it from the Rashids.
Some parts of the castle were rebuilt between AH 1416 and AH 1423 (AD 1995/6-2002/3). In addition to a mosque restoration project that includes parts of the Al-Daraa neighborhood, which included installing stone buildings, restoring cracks in the facades, entrance, and corridors, and installing wooden ceilings of taramax stems in the corridors and layers of moisture insulation.
In 2018, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has launched a project to repair the castle. In the framework of the project, a cafe and a traditional restaurant have been built in the castle.
The castle was originally rectangular, but is now oval in shape. It can be accessed from two main entrances, one in the south of the castle and the other in the north, next to the tower.
The castle has two floors; the first was built in stone, the upper one in mud. There also are four conical towers with height of 12 meter, and they were created at various times. Inside the castle, there are two wells, and its floors contain rooms for guards, shooting and observation.
The castle is surrounded by a large stone wall with many openings for observation. The fence has two entrances, one from the south and the other from the north.
Visitors need about 30 minutes to climb up to the top of the castle due to its 1000 steps twisted stair.
Excavations at Marid Castle - inside and outside the castle - have proven that the castle dates back to the Nabataean period; the excavations brought to light layers with pottery and other findings dating back to the Nabataean period, such as:
In 1976, excavations revealed Nabataean and Roman ceramics dating back to the first and second centuries AD. An excavation team completed the excavation east of the castle and the wall.
Excavations made by Khaleel Ibrahim Al-Moaqil in 1986 added to observations made in 1976 that a homogeneous layer of Roman-Nabataean pottery sherds indicated a prosperous community during the time of the Nabataeans, to whose realm the region probably belonged.
There are many other ancient sites in the castle's vicinity, such as the Omar ibn al-Khattab mosque, Old Dumat al-Jandal's market, the historical neighborhood of Al-Dara’a, and the city wall.