Al-Balad, Historic Jeddah

Jeddah's historic core of tall coral-stone houses with carved wooden rawashin bay windows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its tall houses are built from coral stone, and some have risen to more than 30 metres and are still in good condition after decades. Al-Balad was nominated for UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2009 and accepted in 2014. Today it is being restored, and it is a place where visitors can walk through narrow old streets and visit markets.

The old neighbourhoods

Al-Balad is divided into several districts. Al-Mazloum is in the north-east and includes Souq Qabil and the Al-Shafi'i Mosque. Al-Sham lies in the north, Al-Yemen in the south, named for facing the direction of Yemen, and Al-Bahr in the south-west overlooks the sea. Among the oldest buildings are the Nassif House and Jamjoom House in Al-Yemen, and the Al-Shafi'i Mosque. Some of the old houses are about 500 years old.

Decline and rescue

The defensive walls were torn down in the 1940s. When Jeddah grew wealthy from oil in the 1970s and 1980s, many families moved north, away from the old town, and poorer immigrants moved in. The city began preservation work in the 1970s, and in 1991 it founded the Jeddah Historical Preservation Society. By 2007 many people had moved away, though the streets were still packed during Ramadan. A restoration company was set up around that time.

Visiting and restoration today

In May 2019 Saudi Arabia announced a restoration of 56 historic buildings, with a first stage worth 13.3 million US dollars. In October 2023 the Public Investment Fund announced the Al Balad Development Company to make Historic Jeddah a tourist destination, and in 2024 three historic houses were announced to become hotels. The yearly Misk Historic Jeddah Initiative invites visitors to walk the streets, and a game called Kanz Al-Balad sends players on a scavenger hunt.

On the globe

The model shows a cluster of tall coral-stone houses with their wooden bay windows. Look for the carved balconies on the fronts.