Category Archives: History

Banners in the Wind Sculpture

Posted on October 31, 2010 by SusieOfArabia

This is another sculpture made by Spanish architect and artist Julio Lafuente. Made from scrap metal harvested from two old water condensers that were the first of its kind to supply fresh water to the City of Jeddah, “Banners in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History, Landmarks, Photo, Saudi Arabia, Sculptures | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Khanjar – The Curved Arab Dagger

Posted on September 30, 2010 by SusieOfArabia

These knives are called khanjar, the well-known curved Arab dagger. I have seen khanjar in private homes here as collector’s items. Many have jewel encrusted handles and are quite exquisite. The following is an excerpt from an old issue of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, History, Middle East, Photo, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Mall Mural: Soldiers

Posted on September 22, 2010 by SusieOfArabia

In the next few days, I’ll be featuring Middle Eastern wall mural art that I found in an unfinished section of Roshan Mall in Jeddah. I tried finding information about the works of art themselves but was unsuccessful. The artwork … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, History, Life, Photo, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

View from Atop Naseef House

Posted on August 8, 2010 by SusieOfArabia

Naseef House is one of the old buildings located in Old Jeddah. It is over 100 years old and today is a museum and the place where walking tours of the historical area called Al-Balad (Arabic for the city or … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Culture, History, Landmarks, Middle East, Photo, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Vehicle Decal

Posted on January 13, 2010 by SusieOfArabia

Many vehicles here in KSA sport Arabic script decals like this one on the back window of this SUV. This particular decal contains exactly what the flag of Saudi Arabian government bears, however the flag itself has a solid green … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, History, Photo, Religion, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

CDP Theme Day: Doorways

Posted on November 1, 2009 by SusieOfArabia

The City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, traces its history back to about 500 BC as a small fishing village along the Red Sea. Because of its location, Jeddah became the most important commercial center of the region. It is close … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Culture, History, Landmarks, Photo, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Scarey Name

Posted on August 12, 2009 by SusieOfArabia

Here in Saudi Arabia, the most famous name, of course, belongs to the royal family, the Al-Sauds. Probably the next most well-known name belongs to the Bin Ladin family, a very wealthy group with deep ties to the royal family. … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Middle East, Photo, Saudi Arabia | Tagged | 5 Comments

SkyWatch: Green Rawasheen

Posted on June 12, 2009 by SusieOfArabia

Another example of the distinctive wooden window coverings and balconies of early Jeddah’s Al-Balad architecture, these painted green rawasheen were not only a beautiful decorative element but a very practical element as well. Old Jeddah’s buildings did not have glass … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, History, Life, Photo, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Al-Balad Shops

Posted on June 10, 2009 by SusieOfArabia
Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Culture, History, Life, Middle East, Photo, Saudi Arabia, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

My World: Al-Balad Architecture

Posted on June 9, 2009 by SusieOfArabia

This is a scene from the oldest part of Jeddah, called Al-Balad, which means “the town.” This section of Jeddah used to be completely walled in for protection against outsiders. Jeddah began its humble beginnings as a small fishing village … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, History, Landmarks, Life, Middle East, Photo, Saudi Arabia, Shopping | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments