Must-see attractions in Jeddah

  • Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi women shop at a grocery in the Souq al-Alawi market in the old town of Jeddah 29 December 2005. The market is the biggest market in Saudi Arabia where hundreds of thousands of Muslims from different countries have so far arrived for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which begins on January 7. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

    Souq Al Alawi

    Jeddah

    This souq runs off Al Dahab St and is the most extensive in the Kingdom. The market stalls cut into the heart of the old city and buzz with the activity…

  • Al Shafee Mosque

    Jeddah

    Beautifully restored and maintained, this historic mosque, one of the finest in Jeddah, is named after one of the four great imams of classical Sunni…

  • Matbouli House Museum

    Jeddah

    With so many traditional houses closed in Al Balad, this privately owned museum in a beautiful three-storey property with stunning Hejazi mashrabiyya …

  • Corniche

    Jeddah

    Once a smelly, unpleasant stretch of coastline, the corniche in northern Jeddah has been transformed into a pleasant walkway and leisure space. There are…

  • Al Rahma Mosque

    Jeddah

    This mosque in the north of Jeddah sits on stilts and seemingly floats on the Red Sea. Visitors come to wander in the open courtyard and enjoy the cooling…

  • Naseef House

    Jeddah

    One of Jeddah’s best-restored old coral houses, Naseef House belonged to one of Jeddah’s most powerful trading families and was later a royal residency…

  • Bab Makkah

    Jeddah

    The Mecca gate was historically the most important gate for Jeddah, Arabia's official pilgrim port. It stands at the start of the road that led to Islam's…

  • Sharbatly House

    Jeddah

    Built in 1930, this historic structure boasts some lovely Hejazi mashrabiyya (wooden lattice balconies). It's the former home of the wealthy Sharbatly…

  • Fish Market

    Jeddah

    The colourful and frenetic fish market – west of the corniche – has at least 50 species of sea creature on display, ranging from hammerhead sharks to…

  • Beit Al Balad

    Jeddah

    Built in the early 20th century as the British legation’s headquarters in Jeddah and serving in that role from about 1915 to the mid-1930s, Beit Al Balad…

  • Little India

    Jeddah

    There is a distinct air of the subcontinent in this square mile just off the King Fahd Rd. Clothes shops sell saris, grocers stock fresh curry leaves and…

  • Hanafi Mosque Minaret

    Jeddah

    This beautiful snow-white minaret is all that remains of the historic mosque named after one of the four great imams of Sunni theology, Abu Hanifah. It's…

  • North City Gate

    Jeddah

    This recreated historic gate marks the northern entrance to Al Balad, and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful historic houses, including the…