Creation Story

Modern-day craftspeople are bringing back traditional Arabian arts in Jeddah's Old Town of Al-Balad

- NICOLA CHILTON

IN AL-BALAD, the historic center of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the chirping of sparrows mingles with the call to prayer from the 800-year-old minaret of the Al-Shafi'i mosque, as it has for centuries. But change is very much afoot. Workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests are busy at work on the coral stone buildings, cordoned off by aesthetically pleasing green temporary fences. A growing community of Saudi artists is moving into these narrow lanes, bringing modern energy to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Most of the buildings here date back between 200 and 300 years, when Al-Balad was the main entry point for Muslim travelers arriving by sea on their pilgrimage to Mecca. In recent years the district has hosted Ramadan-related events, the Red Sea International Film Festival, and the Balad Beast EDM festival. Three heritage houses, each more than 100 years old and named for the family that formerly lived in them, have been converted into small boutique hotels, the first of their kind in Al-Balad.