Things to do 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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Green Island
Spread across the water in the form of little chalets on stilts (complete with glass floor panels that reveal the fish and the water beneath), this is the place to come if you're after a final splurge or a romantic revival. The menu is a fusion of Arab, Asian and Continental cuisines. Try the locally loved rock lobster bisque, or go for the all-out 'seafood platter Green Island'.
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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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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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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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Sadd Al-Samallaghi Est Tour Company
With a solid reputation locally, this tour company can organise Saudi visas, tours, car rental (with or without drivers and guides), scuba diving, desert excursions (including falconry) and boat trips. Ahmed Mostafa, the Saudi owner (who lived formerly in Germany) runs the company with a killer combination of local know-how and Teutonic efficiency.
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Souq
Jeddah's souq immediately south of Al-Amir Fahd St and Al-Balad, is well worth seeking out. It's subdivided into different sections, some populated by different immigrant groups, such as Yemenis selling Yemeni coffee and jambiyas (tribesmen's ceremonial daggers). If you're here immediately before, during or after the haj, don't miss it.
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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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Al-Shawly Corner
This Filipino-run restaurant remains wildly popular with Jeddah's Asian community. Though simple and unpretentious, it's clean, the food is fresh, and the service is fast and efficient. There's also a family section and a few outdoor 'cubicles'. Ask for the 'Budget Meal' (soup, choice of two mains, rice and Coke), which is terrific value.
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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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Al-Nakheel Restaurant
Styled like a traditional tent (with open sides to let in the sea breezes), this is the place to come for a taste of Jeddah - in the culinary and cultural sense. It's wildly popular locally; even the Jeddah women let their hair down here (literally). The food is great; the fish and seafood is a speciality.
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General Directory for Culture & Tourism in Jeddah
The General Directory for Culture & Tourism in Jeddah organises an excellent 'lecture and walking tour' of Jeddah's history and architecture at 09:00 every Thursday, meeting at Naseef House. To book a place, email or call the charming Director, Sami Nowar. It's located south of Souq al-Alawi.
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Star Superstores Ltd
The largest supermarket in the downtown, with a reputation for reasonable prices, is the Star Superstores Ltd found inside the Corniche Commercial Centre. With its selection of fresh fruit, cheeses, freshly baked breads and olives, it's a good place for preparing a picnic. It also sells baby food.
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Rayhanat al-Jazirah Street
For antiques, head for the string of stores on Rayhanat al-Jazirah St, right next to the Al-Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation, where you can find jambiyas (tribesmen's ceremonial daggers), old coffee pots, good-quality Bedouin jewellery and incense burners.
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Khayyam Al-Rabie Est
For dates, nuts and nibbles, head straight for the famous Khayyam Al-Rabie Est, which, with its fairy lights and floor-to-ceiling rows of goodies (including over 50 varieties of dates in all shapes, shades, colours, textures), is like an Aladdin's cave for the sweet-toothed.
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Fattah Restaurant
Don't be put off by the façade (rustic log cabin meets Santa's grotto), this Yemeni restaurant is a firm local fave; sample the food and you'll soon see why. Try the delicious shish kebabs served with tahini and chilli sauce and freshly baked flatbread
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Asia Restaurant
A longstanding favourite locally (particularly among Jeddah's expats), the Asia's Thai food is much sought after, particularly the Tom Yum Kum soup and its fish seafood such as deep-fried grouper with tasty chilli sauce. Reserve at weekends - it's packed.
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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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Al-Baik
A kind of Saudi equivalent of KFC (but considered far superior by its fans) that comes complete with its own secret recipe. Well-heeled young Saudis are said to fly in from Riyadh and back especially for a chicken fillet fix for them and their friends.
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Green Island Café
The perfect place for a drink at sunset or for a morning coffee and cake is the Green Island Café, open to men and women, and one of Jeddah's best-kept secrets. The outdoor tables have great sea views and the food is good albeit a little pricey.
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Al-Thamarat
A popular place for breakfast among well-heeled Saudi families is Al-Thamarat, which is designed like an old-style Jeddah coffeehouse. The traditional Saudi dishes are good, but not the cheapest. It's on Al-Fitaihi St, off Talya St
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Al-Zawaqa
Much loved locally, this Lebanese restaurant serves everything from great grilled chicken and succulent shwarma to chocolate baklava and fresh fruit juices. For something different, try the fried lamb's testicles.
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Restaurant Ful & Hummus
For a filling breakfast of bread and fool , do as the locals do and head here. It lies a couple of doors down from Khayyam Al-Rabie date shop. The sign's in Arabic only - look for the Coca Cola sign.
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