Al-Balad is a historical site in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is the largest city as well as the best travel destination in the country. It is also called “The Bride of the Red Sea”, and the destination is a mix of modernism and history. Al Balad is worth exploring, and the place is known for its rich heritage. Al Balad is also called the “Gate to Mecca”, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Best Way To Explore:
Al Balad is filled with awesome 19th-century housing towers, houses built from coral stone and especially open-air markets. Shafi’i Mosque is the oldest in Jeddah, and Nasseef House is renowned for its distinctive architecture. Souk Al-Nada is one of the traditional markets that can be seen here.
Jeddah’s Al-Balad welcomes the tourists warmly with colourfully painted posts. Al-Balad is translated as “The Town”, and the place was first founded during the 7th century. Al-Balad was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in the year 2014.
Enjoy Every Moment:
Al-Balad is known for its active, vibrant life after 5:00 PM as the sun goes down. Adventurous Arabian fairy tales in the tiny streets of multi-storied mud brick as well as the stone building make it unique.
Western tourists could be seen in the vibrant marketplace and town’s cafes. The market offers visitors everything starting from sparkling silver and gold ornaments, honey, and spices to textiles. Normally, there are many small shops along narrow alleys that are also filled with everything such as clothes, watches, antiques, incense and many more. Tourists can enjoy shopping at a fair price range.
Reaching Al-Balad:
The nearest airport to Al-Balad is the Jeddah (JED) Airport, and you can rent a car at Jeddah airport to reach the destination without any hassle. Jeddah (JED) Airport is located 20.9 km away, and there are also other airports nearby, such as the Taif (TIF), located at 141.7 km. It takes about 28 min to get from Jeddah to Jeddah (JED) Airport. You can easily rent Standard Sedans, Luxury Cars, Hatchbacks and many other vehicles for hire.
Car rentals are also available at Jeddah King Abdulaziz Intl Airport, suitable for reaching the important historical site. There are more than hundreds of travel sites suitable to enjoy with family and friends.
Architectural Style Building:
Al-Balad especially has a long history, and evidence suggests that it existed even during pre-Islamic times. These areas are most attractive for fishing spots. Al-Balad began to develop during the 7th century and became a seaport drawing Islamic pilgrims from the 16th century. The architectural-style building is characterised by extensively imposing tower houses.
These were especially built in the late 19th century and decorated by the city’s mercantile elites with large wooden window enclosures. Lower coral stone houses, small public squares, mosques, souqs are many others have also become important destinations to access here. Some buildings are painted bright green or blue. These buildings also rose to more than 30 metres.
Jeddah Old City is also the home to more than 500-year-old buildings subject to restoration by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman as he pledged $13.3 million to restore 56 buildings. The aim of the project is to boost artistic culture in Saudi Arabia.
Historical Nights:
The Historical Nights inside Al Balad is the quirky café bringing you the most delicious café along with the best view of the complete town. Rooftop vistas also attract most people visiting here to enjoy the view of the city.
Baeshen House:
The Baeshen House is one of the awesome buildings constructed with coral stone and wooden artefacts. These could be seen across the majority of Al Balad’s properties. Normally, the Old photographs on these walls also depict merchants as part of the Baeshen family. You could also see more rooms inside, and these are packed with books, newspapers as well as historical details.
You can also take a seat at rowshan, which represents the coolest place in the house. These are made with a unique structure for jutting the main wall as well as allowing for better air circulation. The towering structure also in these areas has the mosque. There is also an open-air place of worship that could be seen, which is painted with brilliance.
Jeddah’s Oldest Mosque:
Masjid Shaffie is a beautiful and oldest mosque in the city. It is called the Umary Mosque, named after Prince Umar, who was the second caliph of Islam and Balad. Masjid Shaffie dates back 1,400 years old, and even now, the building is in good shape. These also were rebuilt 400 years ago and then renovated again in 2009.
The impressive minaret also dates back 800 years and is known as the oldest building in the area. There’s a huge water tank in the mosque which is suitable for filling the rainwater and harvesting it. These will be used historically for domestic purposes. Marble pillars are perfectly designed and these are believed to have been brought by traders from Ethiopia to Jeddah.
Bait Nassif:
Bait Nassif is one of the oldest historical buildings along the pilgrimage road. King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, had been here for 3 years when he visited Jeddah. The towering building attracts most people as these are the best-preserved sites by the officials.
Renovations will be made to reopen the museum. The place is also known for its distinct sense of grandiosity. The buildings are 4 storeys tall with a pathway inside. These also allow the king to ride his horse directly from the street to his office on the second floor.
Experience The Saudi Art In The House Of Traditional Arts:
A Saudi artist named Ahmad Angawi is quite famous for his art. These are inspired by Islamic principles instead of Islamic aesthetics, and he has created new works with traditional methods. You can also visit The House of Traditional Arts to enjoy every piece of art as you visit Al-Balad.
Conclusion:
Al-Balad is called the “Gate to Mecca” as it drew millions of Muslim pilgrims who travelled to Mecca. These also have a connection to sea routes which made them the ideal option for pilgrims from South and Central Asia and North Africa. You can rent a car at Jeddah airportto make the trip enjoyable.