Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A leap into the heart of Jeddah

Jeddah means "grandmother", "great-grandmother" in Arabic. The name of the town probably comes from the story that "great-grandmother Eva" was buried here. Her tomb once stood here, a building of respectable dimensions 150 mx 3 mx 6 m in height.

Today, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not just a desert, oil fields, modern shopping malls and skyscrapers, of course. Seeing and experiencing old Jeddah was an opportunity I didn't want to miss. (Official government websites usually do not have enough detailed tourist information in English.)

In the fairy tale Thousand and One Nights

And so we finally arrive in Jeddah. Since, apart from a few terms, we do not speak Arabic, we are looking for taxi drivers with the words "Naseef Bajt" - "Museum". They throw us like hot potatoes. Some repeat Bab-Al-Makkah… Finally, one seems to understand where we want. We get on and head from the highway junction to the old narrow streets. After a while, however, we will be stopped by traffic jams. The taxi driver gets out and gestures try to explain to us that we have to get out too. Only the car stays in the middle of the column…

In the end, we will understand. The driver would rather take us to the place on foot. In a few minutes we are standing in front of Naseef Bajt (Naseef's house). Impressive. Like Thousands and One Nights… However, the tall, multi-storey, large building looks unexpectedly a bit deserted. (Information from one blog enticed us to the amazing view from the roof and the authentic interior of a large private house serving as a museum.) The main and side doors are locked, no signs for curious visitors. A person who sweeps around notices us and explains that it is only open on Thursdays. This was not on the web…

Today is Wednesday and we only have a few hours until the evening. At the same time, my idea that there would be someone in the museum who would tell us more about the old town, he advised… Disappointed, we look around the square where the house stands. It's a quiet afternoon when the heat commands you to hide inside. We wander the surrounding half-empty streets and discover more and more amazing corners. Small squares, alleys full of shops alternate with those in which time seems to stop. We are beginning to notice that some historic streets and places are marked not only with Arabic names, but also with brown tourist signs in English ("Historical Hajj Rout East", "Al-Fordha Gate"). , the most famous so far are Bab Al-Makkah (Mecan Gate) and Bab Al-Madinah (Medina Gate).

Beauty struggling with adverse climate

We marvel at the views of the tower houses, which are infinitely precisely decorated. Wooden window windows called roshan, balconies with verandas, carved doors. The number of original buildings is fascinating. But this is not an open-air museum. Here the children play football, the laundry is dried on the balconies, the owners sit in front of the shops. However, many houses are dilapidated or completely abandoned. I remember the words of our taxi driver that this is one of the poorest areas.

It's a painful sight. Houses that were built of coral limestone or imported slate and mostly teak wood also suffer from high humidity, in combination with harsh sunlight, poor rainwater drainage, but also polluted air. Emotions mix with us. How much effort, time and skill was needed to create, for example, a single wooden bay window. He cleverly brought an adequate amount of light into the house, improved air circulation and, last but not least, allowed residents to spend hot days in advanced balconies with wooden "walls" out of sight of passers-by.

In wandering, we accidentally walk to a small cafe with a distinctive name - Café Magad. (Magad is the local term for the living room on the ground floor of the house. It is characterized by a window from which it is possible to overlook the entire front of the house.) There is, for example, the original decree on the release of a slave from the Ottoman rule.

Late in the afternoon we choose to sit outside with a traditional Saudi coffee. It has a typical yellow-golden color and is served in a traditional dallah kettle, without sugar, only with dates. Although we are the only tourists far and wide, the waiter is happy to tell us that a whole group of Japanese people were here yesterday. Good news especially for the locals (mostly poor immigrants from Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan or India), to whom tourism in reasonable dimensions can improve their lives. The contrast between the "modern" Jeddah, which begins just beyond the imaginary boundaries of history, is palpable.

The day is slowly coming to an end, so at least we stop at the Al-Shaafi Mosque, or simply the "Old Mosque". Its oldest parts date back to the 8th century. It was reopened in 2015 after a demanding and sensitive reconstruction. It radiates a special peace and humility. With the setting sun we leave the magical heart of Jeddah, but with the desire to return here.

In conclusion

In connection with the inscription of old Jeddah on the UNESCO list, of course, the KSA had to commit to a restoration and sustainability project, including the necessary detailed inventory, etc. Today, there are over 600 buildings in the locality, which is about one third of the original old town. Unfortunately, 52 of them are in bad condition, 38 are collapsing. In addition, it has been found that 115 of them have fallen apart since the first census in 1980. However, some houses have already been sensitively renovated, whether from private or state sources.