About Old Jeddah
History
The historic Jeddah core which is well known by its reputed property comprises the most prominent traditional center in the Kingdom on the Red sea. The attractive coral houses, mosques and ribat-s are the major and worth watching structure in old Jeddah. The city historic core is known as Al- Balad region which has been considering the most historic survived quarter since 647 AD. The old Jeddah wall another historic structure, was the foremost attempt to save the city from foreign attacks. It is believed that the old city wall was the cause of survival of “Al-Balad” district
The architectural character of Al-Balad symbolizes many years of improvement of Islamic architecting covering a numerous building styles, for example, the Persian, Mamluki, Ottoman and others. This blend of various architectural styles and the blend financial structure of the city have made a bona fide natural style of building, known as Hejazi architectural or Hejazi city
Geographic Importance
The area of the proposed buffer zone is composed of a series of sectors with different urban characteristics, significance and history. Its borders mostly coincide with the administrative area depending from the “Historic Jeddah Municipality”, a branch of Jeddah Municipality, which was established in 2010 as part of the administrative reorganization of the central sector of the city supporting the World Heritage nomination process. A triangular area, East of the old city, between the limit of the ancient city walls and the rebuilt Makkah Gate (that was moved some 200 meters East of its original location). This is a dense neighbourhood intimately connected with the nominated property and often perceived as being part of the old city. Small shops and a hardware souk characterize this sector, which includes the Assad Cemetery. A modern, heavy traffic, road encircles the area.
Description of the Houses
Jeddah is a vital port of the Red Sea and a door to the Holy City of Makkah, therefore part of a wide geographic and social system of trade. The Jeddah houses are additionally a coordinate aftereffect of rich multicultural experiences and impacts. A large number of the shippers or travelers who went by or settled added to its beautiful blend of individuals and customs. Its engineering is an unmistakable portrayal of that multiculturalism. The multi-storey residential houses are the most distinctive feature of Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah. In the absence of large land lots within the city walls, tall houses provided the needed space for extended families. Generally speaking, the design of traditional domestic architecture throughout the Arabian Peninsula reflects the concern to maintain the privacy of women in their homes. Windows were generally sited above street level, roof terraces created secluded areas and were subdivided by high balustrades to provide privacy for the women, while entertainment of male guests took place in reception rooms isolated from the areas of the building used by women, so that guests could be received without infringing on the female members of the family. These principles are reflected as well in Jeddah traditional houses..