Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia with a population of nearly five million. The country's commercial centre and the gateway for pilgrims to Mecca. Jeddah is also considered to be the cultural centre of Saudi and the most liberal city in the country. Of course, we couldn't miss it on our journey across the country. Generally, it's an easy visit as there are regular bus and air connections not only from Saudi, but also neighbouring countries.

The drive in was surprisingly long. Not surprisingly, the city is indeed sprawling, and we passed clusters of buildings, commercial and multifunctional centers for dozens of kilometers on the highway. Then comes the attempt to get somewhere near the historic centre of Al-Balad, a World Heritage Site. Remember my previous reviews and my mindless yapping on the subject of permanent reconstruction? Well, Jeddah is no different. One entire neighborhood in the wider city center adjacent to the old city has been practically razed to the ground and is apparently being reconstructed or outright redeveloped. Some roads are blocked or traffic is being diverted because of this. Eventually we manage to get the car as close as possible to our destination, park and spend the next fifteen minutes or so trying to get around all the areas where something is actively being built and get to the part of the historic centre where we can walk. Finally we get to the historic part of Historic Jeddah. It's a pleasant, if slightly exhausting, walk - it's over 30 degrees there, even in late November, and the midday sun is burning intensely. However, we have the whole of Al-Balad practically to ourselves, as it's midday prayer time.

Jeddah became an important city in the Muslim context around 647 AD, when the third Muslim caliph, Uthman Ibn Affan, transformed it into a major port linking the Hijaz region with Mecca, replacing the port of Al Shoaib to the southwest of the holy city. It received both pilgrims and goods, and as a result the city developed into a thriving multicultural centre. Al-Balad received its World Heritage Site status for its unique architecture of tower houses with wooden features, built in the late 19th century by the city's wealthy merchants. In addition to these, you will find lower houses made out of coral stone, mosques, shops, all in narrow streets and occasionally meeting in squares. This style was once widespread across both shores of the Red Sea, but outside of Saudi Arabia, only tiny remnants of similar towns remain.

In addition to our lunchtime stroll, we stopped here the following day in the early evening, when not only was the weather friendlier, but we were suddenly greeted by open shops and cafes on the ground floors of the buildings. We also visited one of the tall tower houses that housed the museum. The interior of the house left in its original state sans some arrangement of the furniture and other exhibits did look a bit shabby. All floors and stairs were crooked, but it added to the charm. There was a well inside the house which I found interesting. Part of Al-Balad is touristy, but locals still live in its deeper recesses, and as if by magic you suddenly go from the slick exhibition area to the atmospheric streets where locals stroll, buy bread, have tea or rush to the mosque for evening prayers. Local Jeddahis also stroll through the old town in the evening, and there's a rush to park in the adjacent streets before sunset, so take note of that if you do travel by car.