tourism 21
Discover Jeddah
The most cosmopolitan city in the Kingdom, Jeddah’s myriad
attractions showcase both the traditional and modern face of the
country, and offer both first time and returning visitors plenty to do,
see and experience
Naseef House: Situated along Souq al-Alawi is Naseef House.
One of the city’s most renowned sights, the residence belonged
to the Naseef family. The Naseefs were one of Jeddah’s foremost
merchant families and heavily involved in the business of trading
in and around this port city.
The founder of present-day Saudi Arabia, King Abdul Aziz Al
Saud, often stayed in this house when he visited Jeddah. The
house was restored in the 1990s and now houses a cultural centre.
Typical features of the buildings are rectangular mud bricks or
cut stones, walls with latticed wooden poles placed horizontally,
and latticed and carved woodwork windows.
King Fahd’s Fountain: Jeddah has the tallest fountain in the
world, with its arching water spout reaching phenomenal
heights of up to 312 metres. Each of the three massive pumps
deliver a staggering 625 litres of water per second which are
propelled into the air at an incredible speed of 375 kilometres
per hour. A visual marvel, King Fahd’s Fountain is definitely
worth capturing on camera either by day or night.
Souks: In Al-Balad there are several marketplaces. The glitt ering
appeal of the popular Souq Al Nada lies in its showcase of gold
and silver ornaments, while Souq Al Jamia is the city’s primary
textile market. Souq Al Alawi, which cuts right across the old
town district from east to west is a treasure trove of various
Above:
Jeddah Corniche: The 35-kilometre-long Jeddah Corniche is retail delights, and the Gabel Street Souq is a magnet for
King Fahd’s Fountain
a cultural landmark for the city. The popular promenade was sho ppers searching for anything and everything, from spices,
recently refurbished at a cost of more than seven hundred million electronics and perfumes to dates, honey and household items.
riyals, and took a total of five years to complete. The boardwalk These traditional souks provide a glimpse of life in Saudi Arabia
is lined with an open exhibition of impressive monuments and that has remained unchanged over the centuries. Here, local
artistic sculptures by internationally-renowned award-winning residents barter hard with traders to secure the best price for their
sculptors and artists including Varselli, Henry Moore, and the daily purchases and special occasion gifts. And visitors invariably
French artist César, as well as a number of prominent Saudi get caught up in the action as well, with good-humoured haggling
Arabian artists. over that special souvenir, part and parcel of the experience.
Al-Balad (Old Town): The city wall that once encased Al-Balad, Scuba diving: If business schedules permit, Jeddah’s underwater
or the old town, has long since been torn down, but the gates still world also holds its own unique attraction, and the city offers
mark the place where it once proudly stood. Inside the complex, scuba divers some of the best experiences in the world, with a
traditional souks and ancient houses, built of coral, and now a spectacular selection of marine life and unrivalled visibility.
crumbling reminder of a former time, can be explored. Below the blue waters off the Corniche there are plenty of
These coral houses line both sides of the main market street, interesting sites to explore, including the famous Chicken Wreck, a
known as Souq al-Alawi. The old town is best viewed in the boat carrying several tons of frozen chicken that hit the reef and
afternoon, after payer time, when the numerous stores open to sunk at a depth of 10 to 18 metres. For qualified divers, most of the
display their wares - a great spot to pick up an unusual gift. better dive sites are around one hour out to sea by fast boat.
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PREVIEW Cityscape Saudi Arabia
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