Trade and pilgrimage in one city
From the seventh century CE, Jeddah developed as a port serving Makkah and receiving pilgrims by sea. Trade connected it with ports around the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Merchants, pilgrims and residents from different communities met in the city, linking its history to the movement of people and goods.
How houses responded to their setting
Al-Balad contains coral-stone houses and tall buildings with projecting wooden roshan windows. The roshan and ventilation features helped address coastal heat and humidity. In some merchants' houses, ground floors accommodated business and trade, while rooms were rented to pilgrims.
Urban prosperity and World Heritage
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the expansion of steam navigation increased maritime traffic. Elaborately decorated merchants' houses were built in the late nineteenth century. In 2014, Historic Jeddah was inscribed on the World Heritage List as Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah. Its significance includes the relationship between homes, markets, mosques and squares within the neighbourhoods.
