The Ajyad Fortress (Ecyad in Turkish , was an Ottoman fort built in 1781 (1777 according to some sources) in Mecca in order to protect the Qa'aba and Muslim shrines from invaders. The fort was situated on a hill overlooking the Great Mosque. Ajyad Fortress was demolished by the Saudi government in 2002 to make space for a $533 million construction project that includes 11 high-rise towers, consisting of apartments, a twin-tower five-star hotel, restaurants, and a shopping center.