The Strange World of Old Jeddah

Walking in Old Jeddah (also known as Al-Balad) is like going back in time, but strangely that time really isn’t all that long ago. While parts of it were built in the 7^th Century as a route for the pilgrims on their way to Mecca, other parts were built just a 100 years ago.

The harsh weather and sea air in the area has left many of the buildings in ruin, but they are still charming in their own way.  Most of them were constructed out of bricks of coral showing how the people of the time used what was available in the area – or in this case, the sea – for building supplies.  

The shutters also were constructed in such a way that they hid the women while still allowing a breeze to flow through the homes to keep them cool during the hot summers in the area.

As Jeddah grew in size and in wealth, many of the residents moved out of the old town and into the newer homes in the North. But still Al-Balad is bustling with life in the late afternoons. 

The mosque is the oldest one in the city and still widely used, and the bakeries, fabric shops and other stores are also visited by the locals.  And many of them have been there for generations and carrying on the traditions of the ancestors.

Contemporary art in Saudi Arabia

People always seem to be surprised that art (and really good art) exists in Saudi Arabia.  There may be certain restrictions due to Muslim religion, but art can still bloom within restrictions.  And often what comes out are powerful and memorizing images that speak to you.

This was the case of the Maïmouna Guerresi's  Solo Exhibition entitled, "The Journey Of The Sparrow Hawk & Other Stories." You can see more of her work on her website: https://www.artsy.net/artist/maimouna-guerresi

Her work is currently being shown in the Hafez Gallery (http://www.hafezgallery.com) in Jeddah and the work is haunting with images showing the emptiness hidden under the abaya of the women and the isolation.  And yet in each piece you sense the quiet strength within the women.

Walking through history in Al-Balad in Jeddah

Sometimes I can’t believe that I live in this amazing place. There is so much history to Jeddah and when you ask the people who grew up here they just shrug and think I’m crazy for thinking it’s so cool.

Just like we don’t look twice at the black squirrels that live in Toronto, these people don’t see their history like I do – probably because they are a part of it. Take Old Jeddah for example.

 Situated in the city of Jeddah, the locals call the area Al-Balad which translates into “The City.”

A street in Al-Balad, Saudi Arabia

Yes, it looks old in the photos and that’s because it is old.

 Al-Balad was founded in the 7th century and used to have walls around it to protect it. The walls were torn down in the 1940s, but many of the original buildings and streets remain.

The Al Shafei Mosque in Al-Balad

The Al Shafei mosque also still exists. Built in the 7th century, it’s currently undergoing a major restoration as over the centuries, it sunk into the ground. 

Fresh meat shop in Al-Balad

A lot of the shops in the area have been around for years and locals still go to the souk there for fabrics, fresh meat, dates and nuts and of course, frankincense, which was a big Saudi export before the oil boom. 

One of the most surprising things was that some of them didn't lock up during prayer time.  They simply hung a sheet across the doorway (see below) and trusted no one would come in and steal anything.  Now that's something you wouldn't do in the US!

Shop closing up for prayer time

The houses in the area were built using rocks taken from Arba’een Lake. They were positioned like bricks and set in place using mud with wood separating them to help distribute the weight. 

You’ll also see lattices in the windows. These are used to catch the wind and create a breeze to cool down the homes. It’s surprising how well this worked.

Ignore my hair. The intense heat and humidity makes it completely unmanageable. 

The entire Al Balad Historical District is 1.5 square kilometers. It was added as a UNESCO World Heritage site in June, 2014.

Learning How to Shop Saudi-style

The malls in Saudi Arabia are incredible – and gigantic.  I’ve only been to the ones in Jeddah, but I’ve been told the ones in Riydah are just as fantastic.  

They are multi-leveled and have interesting things in them like a full-scale amusement park, a snow village where it actually snows fake snow, tropical lagoons, go-cart tracks and more.  The only thing they don’t have are movie theaters as those aren’t allowed here.  

And then you have the shops.  One of my friends asked if they have any shops they would know. The answer is "yes." They have them ALL.   There’s Sephora, Guess, Bebe, Boots,  Juicy Couture, Zara, Applebee’s, Burger King, Baskin Robbins and more.   They also have a few local shops, a bunch of designer shops and some British shops.  You name it; they have it…or they will have it soon.  I saw a sign for a Tim Horton’s coming soon at The Mall of Arabia.

So why so are the malls so amazing?  I think it’s because it’s hot here and the malls are air conditioned so people go there as a family and hang out.  And I mean they really hang out because they stay for hours.

The website says the malls are open from 10 a.m. until midnight, but with the prayer times, many of the actual shops close in the afternoon and reopen in the evening.  Then they are packed from 6:30 p.m. to closing. When I say packed, I’m talking Black Friday shopping packed. 

But while the shops are the same, the way you shop is different.

My first time in the mall, I picked out a bunch of clothes and wanted to try them on. Apparently you don’t do that as very few of the shops have change rooms. Surprise!

 At first I thought Saudi women simply guessed their size, then tried them on at home and brought back the ones they didn’t like.    

This wasn’t going to work for me.

First of all, I don’t enjoy shopping with crowds of people. Secondly, going to the mall is big endeavor as I take the bus from KAUST from 5 p.m. It takes an hour to get to the mall and then it only picks me up again at 11 p.m.  That’s a long time in a mall for someone who likes to get in and be done in 30 minutes.  And thirdly, I didn’t understand the return policies and some of the shops only give you 2 days to do exchanges. 

Not knowing how it’s done, I didn’t buy anything my first time to the mall. Instead I vowed to never go again and just buy everything online. Yes, that sounds drastic. But keep in mind, I just wasted 5 hours in a mall.  

It turns out there my drastic measures won't be necessary.  There is a secret to shopping in Saudi that nobody told me.  

Yes, you have to buy the clothes without trying them on in the shops.  But there is a place to try them on.  It’s in the restroom! 

I was wondering why the restroom was so big with these bare stalls on one side.  I thought they were for private praying or something (really, I knew nothing).  Nope, they are where you try on your clothes. 

So in summary…you buy the clothes, try them on in the restroom, and then return the ones you don’t like.  

PS  I haven’t bought shoes, so I don’t know how that works yet.

A warm welcome from old town Jeddah

Wednesday was my first day at work and already I got to visit Jeddah, which is the nearest city to KAUST and the second biggest one in the country with 4.1 million people.  

Jeddah is currently having its first cultural festival in the city’s old Balad area and I went to check it out with my co-workers.

So imagine me in my abaya – without the veil (so glad I bought this before I left Phoenix or I wouldn't be able to go) trying to follow a group of other women dressed in black through the busy streets of the city. 

Keep in mind that I'm not only new to the area and my Arabic is limited to "thank you" and "yes" -- or if I'm being fancy, I can say "Yes, thank you," but I'm also without my guardian techno angel -- aka my iPhone.

That's right.  I learned when I got here that my cell phone no longer works because I have an iPhone 4 so can’t get a Sim card for it -- and to buy the new iPhone 5 will be $800. So I've been walking around old school -- pre-smart phone.

In other words, I have no idea how to get back to KAUST if I did get lose my co-workers in the crowd, I can't talk to anyone, and I don't have GPS, any translation apps or a way to call for help.

Little did I know that I had nothing to worry about.  My group was also afraid of getting lost in the crowd so they basically were following me (the only blonde in the streets) to make sure they weren't left behind.  Guess I stood out a bit.

The Jeddah Heritage Festival they took me too was the first of its kind in the city and thousands of people were attending that week.  

I know it sounds strange that heritage festivals are a new thing, but some of Saudi co-workers said it’s because in the past, the country really focused on the future.  This makes sense as there are so many gorgeous modern skyscrapers and other architectural buildings in the city.   

However, this is about to change.

According to Prince Sultan Bin Salman, head of SCTA, this 10 day festival was a “turning point for cultural heritage in the Kingdom.” He told the media, they (meaning the government) are starting to focus on national tourism in Saudi Arabia.

Yay for me!  This works out perfectly because when I’m not at work, I’m basically a tourist.   

And it seems like I'm not the only one excited about this new cultural trend.  My group at work had arranged a private tour of the festival so that we could learn about the buildings, history and the stories behind the structures. 

My favorite one was the house with the tree (yes, it is actually known as that because it’s the only house with a tree).

I loved this house because the owners had stairs specially made so camels could walk right in the front door with the packages and food and take them up to the top floor of the home where the kitchen was.  Smart thinking!  The stairs were shorter and wider to make it easy for the camels to climb up and down them.

So was I shunned walking as a westerner in the streets?  Not at all.

In fact, there were countless times when I would walk past an elder and hear say in a quiet voice meant only for my ears, “Welcome, daughter” and then nod as they made eye contact.

It was humbling, touching and very much their culture to be privately welcomed by strangers like that.