Ajyad Fortress

The Ajyad Fortress (Arabic: قلعة أجياد‎) was an Ottoman era castle which stood on a hill overlooking Masjid al-Haram. It was demolished in 2002 by the Saudi government to make way for the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower.

Protection of Makkah

• The fort was one of several castles built by the Ottomans to protect the Ka’bah from invaders. Built in 1780 CE, it covered around 23,000 m² (250,000 sq ft) of Bulbul Hill, a spur in the northern part of Mount Khalifah (also known as Mound Kuda). It formed a powerful defence line with two other forts, Lala and Hindi, to the west and north.

• It continued to defend the Ka’bah and Makkah against rebel attacks until 1923, when King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud entered Makkah. The king donated the fort to the Masjid al-Haram as an endowment.

Demolition of the Ajyad Fortress

• In January 2002 the fort was demolished to clear the area for the $15 billion construction project of the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. The demolition sparked a global outcry, in particular from Turkey, who saw it as a continuation of Saudi policy of eradicating Ottoman era heritage.

Relocation

• Initially, a proposal was made to deconstruct and rebuild the fort elsewhere in order to preserve it. However, this plan was subsequently dropped. 
• A small replica model of the fort can be found in the Miniatürk theme park in Istanbul, Turkey.

References: Makkawi.com, Wikipedia