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Jeddah

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Corniche at sunset with King Fahd's Fountain, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Middle east

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Overview

The historic crossroads of pilgrims and traders, and the traditional gateway to Mecca, Jeddah is the most fascinating of Saudi Arabia's major cities, with a cosmopolitan and liberal air not present anywhere else in the Kingdom. Visitors will love the city's World Heritage Red Sea architecture, its bustling souq, the laid-back coastline that's home to fantastic dive sites, and its diverse, world-class cuisine.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi women shop at a grocery in the Souq al-Alawi market in the old town of Jeddah 29 December 2005. The market is the biggest market in Saudi Arabia where hundreds of thousands of Muslims from different countries have so far arrived for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which begins on January 7. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

    Souq Al Alawi

    Jeddah

    This souq runs off Al Dahab St and is the most extensive in the Kingdom. The market stalls cut into the heart of the old city and buzz with the activity…

  • Al Shafee Mosque

    Al Shafee Mosque

    Jeddah

    Beautifully restored and maintained, this historic mosque, one of the finest in Jeddah, is named after one of the four great imams of classical Sunni…

  • Matbouli House Museum

    Matbouli House Museum

    Jeddah

    With so many traditional houses closed in Al Balad, this privately owned museum in a beautiful three-storey property with stunning Hejazi mashrabiyya …

  • Corniche

    Corniche

    Jeddah

    Once a smelly, unpleasant stretch of coastline, the corniche in northern Jeddah has been transformed into a pleasant walkway and leisure space. There are…

  • Al Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation

    Al Tayibat City Museum for International Civilisation

    Jeddah

    This privately owned four-floor collection has displays ranging from pre-Islamic artefacts, exquisite Islamic manuscripts, old coins and weaponry to…

  • Al Rahma Mosque

    Al Rahma Mosque

    Jeddah

    This mosque in the north of Jeddah sits on stilts and seemingly floats on the Red Sea. Visitors come to wander in the open courtyard and enjoy the cooling…

  • Naseef House

    Naseef House

    Jeddah

    One of Jeddah’s best-restored old coral houses, Naseef House belonged to one of Jeddah’s most powerful trading families and was later a royal residency…

  • Bab Makkah

    Bab Makkah

    Jeddah

    The Mecca gate was historically the most important gate for Jeddah, Arabia's official pilgrim port. It stands at the start of the road that led to Islam's…

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