Houses of Al-Balad
Al-Balad (Arabic: البلد) is the historic centre of Jeddah. Founded in the 7th century, Al-Balad was the heart of the city until the 1960s, when its inhabitants became wealthier and started to move to the suburbs. Poor immigrants moved in place of the Saudi population. In 1991 the authorities decided to preserve the architecture of Al-Balad, but little has been done so far. The projecting window enclosed with carved wood latticework, called mashrabiya, are typical of Arabic architecture.
Houses of Al-Balad
Al-Balad (Arabic: البلد) is the historic centre of Jeddah. Founded in the 7th century, Al-Balad was the heart of the city until the 1960s, when its inhabitants became wealthier and started to move to the suburbs. Poor immigrants moved in place of the Saudi population. In 1991 the authorities decided to preserve the architecture of Al-Balad, but little has been done so far. The projecting window enclosed with carved wood latticework, called mashrabiya, are typical of Arabic architecture.