Travertine marble was the material used to create this dynamic work of art by Spanish architect and sculptor Julio Lafuente. Taking about five years to complete, this monument was actually carved in Italy and is comprised of 260 separate pieces of marble which were then shipped to Jeddah and assembled. It stands in the center roundabout of a major intersection in Jeddah and is quite an imposing sight. The angle of my photo does not show the full details of Al-Kibla. It actually has another side similar to this and the two pieces come together at an angle forming a V-shape, which points the way to Makkah. Al-Kibla in Arabic means “the direction for prayer.”
About This Blog, and About Me: Susie of Arabia
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is KSA's 2nd largest city and is located on its west coast, right on the Red Sea. I moved here in 2007 with my Saudi hubby. This journal reflects the things that I see here, life through my eyes, my lens.
Please be sure to also visit my other blog, SUSIE OF ARABIA (formerly SUSIE'S BIG ADVENTURE), which relates my experiences, thoughts, and observations about living in Saudi Arabia.
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JEDDAH DAILY PHOTO 
THat is amazing – looks like whipped cream!
This is imposing. Never ending fascination with your blog.
You know I’ve seen this monument hundreds of times and never knew it was pointing to the Kibla.. amazing.. thanx for the info.. ! Now I can brag about it š
I like your interesting blog very much!
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It looks like wrinkled paper, but it’s all about prayer. Not one of my more favorite sculptures. But thanks for sharing.
Really beautiful and amazing how complex it is. Excellent photograph of it too.
This must be meaningful to many people. It certainly is imposing and your photo shows it off well.
The art work you have posted over the last 3 days have been amazing and the information about how they came about was truly interesting. I’m with you, I think businesses would want their address known. You are so lucky to have so many interesting pieces of art around your city.
That’s amazing. Italian marble is so gorgeous, they built cathedrals with it a long time ago so I’m sure a sculpture, albeit a large one, was no problem in today’s technological world!
Great idea.
But I wonder how they stuck all those pieces together.