Museums, Jiddah

1 more image

Built in the early 1900s in the traditional Hijazi architectural style, Beit al-Balad served as the headquarters of the British legation in Jeddah from World War I until the 1930s. This turbulent period saw Jeddah and the Hijaz change hands from the Ottoman Empire (nominally ruled by the Hashemite Sharif), to the independent Kingdom of Hijaz ruled by the Sharif, to Saudi-Wahhabi occupation in 1924, to full annexation to Saudi Arabia in 1932. The British had a significant role in reshaping the map of the region, starting with the highly romanticised story of Lawrence of Arabia, to breaking the promise of a unified independent Arab country made up of former Arab-Ottoman lands (think Sykes-Picot, Balfour Declaration, etc.), and to leaving a weak Kingdom of Hijaz to be usurped by the Saudi dynasty (in return for other less publicised favours, including assuring a safe passage to British ships in the Red Sea). None of this history is viewed favourably by locals, but a lot of it was likely made by the British legation in this very building. Beit al-Balad was one of several buildings used by the British legation, but it is the only one that has survived. It was restored in recent history and turned into the Municipality Museum of Jeddah, dedicated to the history of the city.

or Bait Naseef is one of the oldest houses in Jeddah. Naseef is a well-known family in the western region of Saudi. They used to open this house as a museum for visitors, though now the Jeddah Municipality is closing it for maintenance.
it used to be the residence of Sultan Abdulhamid, the Ottoman and King Abdulaziz. It depicts the traditional architecture and lifestyle of Jeddah decades and perhaps 100s ago. It consists of 3 floors where the ground floor is open for public, has a water spring that can be seen through a glass board, a 3D map of Balad and surrounding areas and other rooms for display. It has 107 rooms and a camel can get in to fetch the fresh food up to the top! very feasible!
In summer festivals, there would be a traditional Jeddah's music band for traditional performance. It's fun.
No entrance fees.

It's only 3 minutes away from my college, located next to Khozam Palace. This museum used to be King Abdul Aziz Palace in Jeddah. Now it covers sections of different ages that the Arabian Peninsula went through back to 7000 years ago, Pre-Islamic age, Islamic age (Prophet, Amawi, Abbasi, Turks), and finally the Saudi Kingodm.

Centers in the City

The scheme receives 2000 male and female students and visitors during twelve hours a day in different types of sciences, knowledge and museums. The information deals with the history of Arabian Peninsula since 2.500.000 years till the end of this century. This project is considered one of the largest schemes of the like worldwide. There are wings for jewellery, for national light industries and different centers on international arts units.

Centers in the City are Specialized in:

1. Heritage craftsmanship (pottery, engraving on plates, basket manufacturing, heritage textile and spinning, designing of clay, tin inscription, dried flowers, manufacturing of paper toys etc).

2. Fine arts (oil painting, coal, pastel, drawing on glass, fiber, water painting, painting on canvas.

3. Elements of Arabic scripts (Rigaa, Naskh, Kofi, Thoth, Diwani, Persian and Al-Ijaza)

4. Talents labs (In the following subjects): (earth, seas, plant, animals, man, medicine, pharmacology, electronics, metals melting, carpentry, fine arts, photographing, home arrangement and order, computer, public culture, astronomy, literature, sports, modern languages, social activities, economics, agronomy and rhetoric).

5. Health: (General clinic for men, a clinic for women and children, ENT, dental clinic, optics, emergency, Analytic tests and pharmacy.

6. Khan of AL Khalil (Cassettes and books in Qur'an sciences, heritage swords and guns, pottery, rings, handmade carpets, works of art, bedwin jewellery, bidwin clothes, coins and currencies, stamps, medals, old scripts and pictures and other antiquities.

7. Centers for computer sciences and languages.

8. Ladies beauty parlour.

9. Different scientific centers which concern male and female with academic libraries in different universal sciences.
A. The Project started in 1978 A.D.
B. 50% completion of the project and partial operation in 1994 A.D.
C. The total completion and operation in 1996.

Important Information:

There is the biggest wing for scientific miracles of the Qur'anic and Sunnah ni the conception of the understanding of the Qur'anic verse "We have neglected nothing in the book".(1) Four Museums in all sciences, knowledge, heritage culture and human civilization with 300 rooms. The displayed pieces and items are nearly 60.000. (1) Surat AL-An'am (38)

Important Information:

The city consists of more than 300.000 books and references in different sciences and fields of knowledge, 2000 square meter of walled information with illustrations and models, more than 500 (five hundred) of computer programs in different sciences and knowledge, about 18 museum wings in different human civilization. A wing about the history, battles and struggle of the late King Abdulaziz. There is a wing for Saudi national culture with illustrated models and a wing for national industries and an information center for national culture, a wing for mineral, stones and jewelry. A wing for international fine arts schools, a wing for international unity arts, wings for Islamic heritage and arts, wing for heritage and arts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wings for universal sciences (the solar system) Earth as a planet in particular, pant, animal kingdom and man and wings for old civilizations world wide.

main elemnts

Taybebin and Tayebat educational center, Talented People Training Center, Tayebat center for sciences - culture and fine arts - Abdul-Raof Khalil's museum, home arts museum, National culture museum, Abdul-Raof Khalil's heritage house which was established in resemblance to the houses of Old Jeddah - the clinic - Khan of AL Khalil, the internal broadcasting network of the city - the internal television of the city - the security of the city – general maintenance of the city.

The city is composed of the following main elements

The mosque - benevolent of mobarrat Eltayebat - Ibad AL Rahman center for Qur'anic sciences - heritage sciences center - Knowledge approximation and its interpretations, bookshops, libraries and the center of information, the open university of Tayebat (read and teach yourself by yourself)

The elements of past architecture are embodied in this city with many ecological functions such as stone and clay works of all kinds. The planning for this project was to reflect the movement inside old Jeddah city enjoying its moderate climate, although it was hot in the outside, as a result of air blowing through its narrow streets, districts and buildings.