Day 1 – Jeddah

We arrived at Jeddah International Airport early morning, and rented a car through Budget Car Rental from the airport. We got early check-in at out hotel Q Suites Jeddah by Ewa. And after breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to explore Jeddah.

It was Friday which is a holiday in Saudi Arabia, so most of the sites were closed and streets were empty, making it easy to drive around.

Our first stop was Al Balad – the historic old center of Jeddah, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The crumbling developments, dusty streets and a swarming street-cats will put you right in the middle of the beating heart of Jeddah.

Founded in the seventh century, Al Balad was once an ancient trading port and acted as the primary gateway to Makkah (Mecca). Today, it is famous for its traditional buildings, which were constructed with coral-stone and decorated with intricate latticed windows.

We wandered around the narrow alleyways, taking in the spectacle in front of us, especially with no on else around.

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

[Al Balad historic district, Jeddah]

 
Right in the middle of AL Balad is the city’s oldest mosque, Masjid Shafie, also known as Umary mosque after Prince Umar, who was the second caliph of Islam. The site is more than 1,400 years old, but the building is in good shape, having been rebuilt 400 years ago, and then renovated again around 2009.

The impressive minaret dates back some 800 years and is considered the oldest in the area. Inside the mosque, there’s a huge water tank that fills with rainwater. The marble pillars date back to the early Islamic era and are believed to have been brought to Jeddah by traders from Ethiopia.

One of the best places to visit in Jeddah is the corniche – the coastline along the Red Sea. First stop was Jeddah Sign, after which we navigated to see the tallest and biggest flag pole in the world – Jeddah Flagpole. But there was no flag!

As we mentioned, it was Friday so most places were closed because of weekend, but we found a Subway for a quick late lunch-stop.

Next stop – Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque. Marked by its bright white color and its turquoise dome, this is famously known as the Floating Mosque because it is anchored to the sandy shore by a low-walled walkway sprawled across the Red Sea. Located on the northern tip of Jeddah’s waterfront, it covers a massive area of 2,400 sq. m.

[Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque]

[Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque]

[Inside Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque]

[Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque]

[Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque]

[Monument outside Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque]

[Al-Rahmah Mosque or Floating Mosque at sunset]

Last stop for the day was King Fahd’s Fountain – the tallest fountain of its type in the world. At 312m (1024 ft), the fountain was off during the day, but it was on a spectacle during the night.

The base of the fountain is in the form of a large mabkhara, an incense burner which symbolizes Arabian culture.

[King Fahd fountain at night]

[King Fahd’s Fountain, Jeddah]

 
Headed out for dinner at Raj Indian restaurant for one of the most delicious Indian food!

Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate of USD 1 = SAR 3.65 at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult.