Sights in Jeddah
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Al-Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation
Don't be put off by the grandiose name: Al-Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation definitely merits a visit. The vast palace contains over 300 rooms crammed with a collection built over a local merchant's lifetime.
The four-floor collection ranges from exquisite Islamic manuscripts and old coins to stunning furniture and pottery (some of it bought from international art houses). Exhibits are accompanied by good captions and information panels, as well as a few dioramas.
Note that, unfortunately, it can't open for less than 10 people; try and form a group or telephone to join one.
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Corniche
Do as the Saudis long have and take a walk along the 35km-long corniche, particularly on a warm, summer's night. You'll get a real sense of what Jeddah is all about, as well as life in the Kingdom today. Students sit cross-legged and stooped over books, families share picnics spread on rugs, men gather to gossip and cut commercial deals, and young men meet to play cards and show off their latest car.
Look out for the famous Corniche sculptures that line the wide pedestrian areas for 30km north from the port. Subjects range from the mundane to the miraculous; from anchors and boats to giant sunflowers squirting water; elongated and fragmented camels to a boat made entirely…
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A
Naseef House
Sadly, Jeddah's old coral houses are in a very sorry state. Almost unique among the sea of dilapidation, however, is the restored Naseef House, which once belonged to one of Jeddah's most powerful trading families. It's set back from souq al-Alawi.
Look out for the wide ramps installed by King Abdul Aziz in place of staircases so that camel-mounted messengers could ride all the way to the upper terrace in order to deliver messages. The house is also home to the General Directory for Culture and Tourism in Jeddah.
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B
Fish Market
The colourful and frenetic fish market is located in Al-Balad, just over 1km south of the Red Sea Palace Hotel. It's well worth a wander if only to admire Saudi's Red Sea riches - there's at least 50 species of fish on display ranging from hammerhead sharks to grouper, parrot fish and squid.
Don't miss, if you can, the daily auction of the morning's catch (from 05:00 to 09:00), when the place really lights up. Note that as the market's situated close to the Coast Guard and Port, photos are not permitted.
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Souq al-Alawi
Souq al-Alawi, which runs E off Al-Dahab St, is the most extensive and traditional souq in the Kingdom. With wonderful old houses towering skyward, the market stalls cut into the heart of the old city and buzz with the activity of traders and pilgrims from across the sea and desert in much the same way it has for more than a millennia. The atmosphere is especially cosmopolitan during the haj season. Try and be here at sunset when the call to prayer fills the lanes - this is Arabia at its best.
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Shallaby Museum of Traditional Handicrafts & Hejazi Heritage
For those who have neither the time nor the energy to face Jeddah's 'Louvre' (aka Al-Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation), try the Shallaby Museum of Traditional Handicrafts & Hejazi Heritage, with a good collection of coins, silver antiques (look out for the silver-plated wedding slippers) and traditional Bedouin clothes.
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C
Shorbatly House
Sadly, Jeddah's old coral houses are in a very sorry state. Shorbatly House boasts some lovely mashrabiyya (balconies with perforated screens to allow the air to circulate). Though much restored to something approaching its original state in the 1980s, it has since been allowed to deteriorate once again.
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Beaches
Sadly, some of Jeddah's best stretches of sand are now covered in concrete. What's left often disappoints. Many beaches are swamped by beachgoers at weekends, along with their sand buggies and jet skis. Some five-star hotels have their own private beach.
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Radisson SAS Hotel Private Beach
Some five-star hotels have their own private beach. The Radisson SAS Hotel allows nonguests to use its beach and facilities for around SRIs50 per person per day.
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