Ibn Saud and his men photographic reproduction
Available framed or unframed (with matting, ready for framing)
The Al Sauds have a strong history of coming back from defeat and oblivion. The first state was settled by the family in the region around Riyadh in 1744. Marked by much annexation of territory, it was razed, literally, to the ground, by Ottomon-Egyptian forces in 1818. Not long afterward ds the Al Sauds were able to come back and establish the second Saudi State in the Nejd with Riyadh as their capital. This Saudi era was however so marked by unrest, fratricide and Egyptian interference that a former vassal of the Sauds, Mohammad Ibn Abdullah bin Rashid of Hail was able to oust them by 1891. In 1902 young Abdul-Aziz, said to have been barely twenty then, took on the task of restoring his family's fortunes. Remarkably he was able to achieve his objective with relatively few followers, including his brothers and cousins. There's still a mark from his bayonet from this siege on the old door of the Masmak fort. In this photo King Abdul-Aziz (known simply as Ibn Saud) can be seen riding with his men in Thaj in the Eastern Province
