Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Dec 22, 2023
I wandered out of the hotel and down toward the heart of the old city, called Al Balad. The name translates as “The Town” and once upon a time this was the only town that mattered in these parts. Today there is a push for tourism especially in this area. It shows in the newly paved and scrupulously maintained streets, sidewalks and well-tended gardens.
The Jaffali Mosque is blindingly white in the sunlight as it stands overlooking a parking lot with flowering bushes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stands in grand majesty across the street. Further down is a parklike area with a giant screen and seating. Soccer fever has taken over Saudi Arabia. I saw another giant screen elsewhere in the town, complete with a musical group who drum up an audience.
There are signs aplenty, some in English but a thoughtfully created map is alas, only in Arabic. No doubt the hiccups and rough edges will be smoothed out in a few years.
At the entrance to the old town is a trio of minarets, most of it hidden under green scaffolding and right behind it is a recreated gateway to the old town.
There are buggies to cart weary tourists and plenty of tourists dutifully following their guides through the winding lanes. The dress mode is not exactly the ultra-conservative one I had expected. There is even a row of scooter, complete with helmets. Yup, Saudi Arabia is definitely going all out for tourism. At every corner is a chair with a guard although most seem more intent on their phones than anything else.
Originally begun as the seaport for Mecca, it isn’t that old in the grand scheme of things and most of the buildings date from a few centuries ago. The lanes wind between buildings, sometimes just wide enough for a person, sometimes opening out into a plaza. Built of coral bricks from the Red Sea their most eye-catching aspects are the intricately carved wooden windows and balconies. The workmanship is truly beautiful although in a sad state of disrepair. But that is all set to change. The green scaffolding is ubiquitous and just about every building is under renovation.
But there a strangely empty feel to this place. It reminds me of Khiva in Uzbekistan. That too is renovated to an inch of s life but lacks the vibrancy of the living hives of souqs in other parts of the world.
A few of the grander residences have opened as museums. Stucco and plaster walls, beamed wooden ceilings house rooms with some remnants of old furniture. The Beit Sharbatly is still being renovated and offers a glimpse into life in a bygone era.
The Beit Matbouli is humbler in design but intriguing. There is even has a well in a small alcove leading off from the drawing room! Strict segregation of men and women include separate floors for each.
The grandest of them all is the Beit Naseef is now converted to a museum showcasing student art projects. The Roshan Project is where they learn the age-old skills of mosaiced windows and carved wooden panels and the art of painting with natural pigments. With any luck these skills may once more be used to create stunning art.
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 