This is part of a watchtower on the road from Taif to Al Baha. It is built by the Ottomans who were in control from ~ 1517 1916 ( used data of Taif ).
Slide 1984 ====================== 1517: Surrender to the Ottoman Empire
On 17 July 1517 the Sharif of Mecca capitulated to the Ottoman sultan Selim I. As a sign of this, he surrendered to him the keys of the Islamic Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. As part of the Hejaz, Ta'if was also given over to Ottoman control.
[edit] 1802 – 1813: Conquest by Wahhabis and reconquest by the Ottomans
The city continued to be governed by the Ottomans for a further three centuries, until in 1802 it was conquered by Wahhabi forces from the Nejd, who were in alliance with the House of Saud. These forces then proceeded to take Macca and Medina. The loss was keenly felt by the Ottoman Empire, which viewed itself as the protector of the Holy Cities. The Ottoman Sultan, Mahmud II, called upon his nominal Viceroy in Egypt Muhammad Ali, who launched an attack on the Hijaz and reconquered Ta'if in 1813.
1916 – 1924: The Arab Revolt and Hashemite control Prior to the Arab Revolt, Ahmed Bey had been made the commander of Ottoman forces in Tā'if. He had under him a force of 3,000 soldiers and 10 guns of the mountain artillery. Ghalib Pasha, the governor of the Hijaz was also present in the city. In 1916, the Hashemites launched their revolt against the Ottoman Empire in Mecca in June. That city had fallen and then in July Abdullah, the eldest son of the Hashemite leader and Sharif of Makkah Hussein bin Ali, was sent with seventy men to Tā'if. Whilst his activities in the area aroused the suspicion of Ahmed Bey, Ghalib Pasha was unconcerned by so small a force. Abdullah secretly built up his army to 5,000 men. He then cut the telegraph wires to the city and then went on the attack. All Hashemite assaults on the city were repelled by the mountain guns, and both sides settled down to an uneasy siege. However, Hashemite guns were slowly brought up to Tā'if, and then the city held out a little longer; it finally surrendered on 22 September. The city thus later became a part of the self-proclaimed Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz.
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