The Enduring Charm of Jeddah’s Old Town of Al Balad

Jeddah, a city shaped by the ebb and flow of pilgrims and traders over centuries along the eastern shore of the Red Sea, holds a historic district at its heart. Al Balad, Jeddah’s city centre, was designated as one of Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recognition of its cultural and historical significance in 2014. 

This 500-year-old quarter has endured the passage of time like a patient storyteller, yet decay had become inevitable as mid-20th-century land reclamation and road developments disrupted its fabric. The exodus of traders and merchants in the 1970s deepened the neglect, leaving its delicate trellis windows and iconic coral stone towers to crumble, their once-vibrant charm fading into disrepair.

Al Balad’s name, ‘The Town’, captures its essence as the lifeblood of Jeddah - a place where trade, culture, and everyday life interwoven seamlessly for centuries. While its origins may trace back to the pre-Islamic era, it wasn't until the the 7th century AH - when the third Caliph Othman ibn Affan made it the official port of Makkah that Al Balad - rose to prominence, evolving into a vital seaport at the heart of Indian Ocean trade routes, channeling goods to Makkah, and cementing its status as a vibrant hub of commerce and culture.

The city’s deep connection to the Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) is etched into its streets, where the echoes of distant travellers and the vibrant hum of trade tell a timeless story. Pilgrims from Asia and Africa, drawn by faith, settled here, leaving behind cultural imprints that shaped the city’s urban fabric.

This dual role is reflected in the traditional souks, stretching eastward from the sea toward the Mecca Gate, which have long served as enduring pathways of commerce and connection. Caravanserais, wikalas, ribats and tower houses provided accommodations for pilgrims, while mosques and zawiyas served as both places of worship and communal gathering. 

In the early 1500s, under the Egyptian Mamluks, Jeddah was fortified with a wall to protect it from external threats. This wall, with its forts, watchtowers and eight gates, controlled the movement of people and goods, giving the city its unique rhythm. For centuries, Al Balad remained a walled, bustling hub of commerce and culture.

In 1947, the wall was dismantled to accommodate urban expansion, yet remnants of this rich history endure. Some of the original gates have been preserved and reimagined, honouring their historical significance. Among them, Bab Makkah faces the direction of the Holy City, Bab Jadeed opens to the east and Bab Shareef guards the southern edge, each a testament to Jeddah's enduring heritage. 

Strolling through its labyrinthine alleyways, you are greeted by a unique architecture that seamlessly marries majesty with simplicity. The whitewashed walls, built from coral or Al-Mangabi stones drawn from the Red Sea, encase clustered buildings adorned with intricate geometric patterns and calligraphy, hallmarks of the Hijazi style. These late 19th-century masterpieces were crafted by the city’s mercantile elites, and stand today as enduring symbols of Jeddah’s cultural and architectural heritage.

As your eyes gaze upward, you're captivated by the ornate wooden latticework adorning the facades, known as Roshan windows. These intricate designs serve not only as a warm and timeless aesthetic but also as a marvel of functional ingenuity, offering privacy, ventilation and relief from the scorching heat. Their craftsmanship cleverly refracts sunlight, casting delicate patterns inside, a testament to the architectural brilliance of the past.

Rising amid the narrow maze-like streets of Jeddah’s historic district stands a 1,400-year-old Ottoman minaret, a timeless feature of Al Shafi Mosque - one of the city’s oldest and most revered landmarks.

Another culturally significant landmark in the area is Bait Nassif, originally owned by the Nassif family. The house, also known as "the house with the tree," opens onto a square with a neem tree - the only tree in Jeddah until the 1920s. Constructed with limestone-bearing walls reinforced by wooden beams, the façade is covered with limestone plaster, adorned with a band of floral motifs that outline the wooden slabs of each floor. The house was later converted into a museum by the Saudi government, preserving its rich history and architectural beauty.

Today, Al Balad stands at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a beacon of the kingdom’s dedication to rekindling its cultural and architectural legacy. With a strong commitment to restoration and revival, it breathes new life into its storied past under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.