The city of Jeddah

NAME: RUHANA
ID: 2010555
 INTRODUCTION
• Jeddah also known Jiddah, Jaddah or Juddah is
derived from “Jadda” which is the Arabic word
for “grandmother”.
• The tomb of Eve is considered to be the
grandmother of humanity which is located in
Jeddah.
• Jeddah is also known as the bride of the Red
Sea, the port of 2 holy cities, Makkah and
Medina.
The old city of Jeddah
• Since 646 AD, Jeddah was established as the gateway for Muslim Pilgrims to Mecca
who arrived by the sea and this was made by the Caliph 'Uthman. So, since 646 AD
the historic core of the city, known as Al-Balad district was preserved as the historic
quarter.
• Al Balad is known as the old city of Jeddah. Saudi Arabia is home to one of the
world’s most precious architectural gems which is built with coral and hand carved
wood.
• It has a unique atmosphere with pedestrian only streets and historic architecture.
• Al Balad was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in the year 2014.
Some Pictures of the historical site buildings.

The buildings were made from limestone, hand-hewn into

blocks and laid in lime mortar before being reinforced by beams
and decorated with wood.
Architectural contribution
• The highlight of the old city is it’s architecture which makes Al-Balad a unique place.
This architecture cannot be found anywhere else in the world because of the materials
used to build them.
• The houses are made from coral limestone mined directly from the Red Sea, positioned
in place by size and segregated by wooden planks to reduce the heat from town’s
climate.
• Back in the days it was difficult to find resources , hence they had to rely on sand and
blocks from the lagoon to build houses.
• Al Balad includes quite the number of monuments like the Old Jeddah wall and it’s
historical open squares such as Al-Mazloom, Al Sham, Al Yemen and Al- Bahr Haras.
• The most creative workmanship is
seen in the wooden details.
• The artisans built small private
balconies and windows called
“rawasheen”.
• The town is home to historic mosques
like Othman bin A an Mosque, Al-
Shafe’i Mosque, Al-Basha Mosque,
Akkash Mosque, Al-Mi’maar Mosque
and Al-Hana Mosque.
Livelihood
• My father moved to Jeddah in his early twenties around 1990. He started off
small and got better livelihood as days went on. The development of the city
and the hospitality of the people was something my father always spoke about.
• Whenever there was a call for prayer, everyone stopped what they were doing
and went to mosques to pray. The people are the most generous.
• I was raised in this city my whole life and always felt a sense of serenity being
around the people and their culture.
Cultural and economic contribution
• The establishment of Jeddah show the contribution of culture to the growth
of economy and more.
• When Muslim pilgrims passed Jeddah there was an increase of Arab culture
among the city.
• More people started to serve the community and brought out their
hospitality to people passing by.
• Due to their culture many more people started vising Jeddah increasing it’s
economy and growth of business.
• Eventually Jeddah became the business capital city of Saudi Arabia having
the largest sea port of the Red Sea.
• One of the ways Arabs showed their
hospitality was through their food.

• Gahwa and dates are the famous

warm up snacks for guests as a form
of respect and safety.
Personal experience
• Being raised in this city my whole life, I call this place my home.
• The people and atmosphere is like no other place on earth.
• I was provided with proper education and always served like family
among the people of Jeddah.
• I will always visit this place no matter where I go.
• Saudi Arabia is ranked first as the safest country in the Arab world for
women no matter the time of the day/night.
• The safety, the opportunities are endless for everyone and will get better
with time.
References
References
[1] Orbasli, A. (2007), Conservation Training in the Middle East, Built
Environment 33(3), 307-22
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dTyE3rOCPg (video by Stef Hoffer on the
old city)
[3] https://www.arabnews.com/node/1318361/amp (Notes on Al Balad)
[4] https://www.atharna.com/journal/jeddah-s-historical-al-balad-neighbourhood
(Journal on the historical buildings and site of the old city)
[5] https://www.britannica.com/place/Jeddah-Saudi-Arabia (History of Jeddah from
before the commercial foundations)
[6] https://www.arabamerica.com/hospitality-in-the-arab-world/ (History of Arab
hospitality)
Thank you!