Jeddah is also an up and coming tourist city in Saudi Arabian which is located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. Jeddah is the major gateway to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, which able-bodied Muslims are required to visit at least once in their lifetime. It is also easy and economic to get to with cheap flights to Jeddah departing from most UK airports, making it popular with new tourists who wish to experience the Middle East.
There are a many artistic things to see in Jeddah, this is because during the oil boom in the late 1970s and 1980s, there was a focused effort to bring art to Jeddah’s to show in public areas. As a result of this, Jeddah now contains a large number of modern open air sculptures and works of art, these are typically situated in roundabouts, for all to see. Some of the sculptures include works by a variety of artists, such as, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Victor Vasarely. Because Islamic tradition prohibits the depiction of living creatures you find the sculptures often depict elements of traditional Saudi culture like coffee pots, incense burners and palm trees to the completely bizarre like a mounted defunct propeller plane, a giant geometry set, a giant bicycle, and a huge block of concrete with several cars protruding out of it at odd angles. There are also many museums in Jeddah, some of these show a wide variety of history from Jeddah and Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah is quite a cosmopolitan city, more than any other city in the country it is also a diverse multicultural city which has many people coming from all over the world, who share their cultures. It also features many historical buildings and many hotels near to the beach. It is also popular because of its shopping districts, restaurants and cafes and with one of the most famous shopping districts in Jeddah being Tahlia Street
Jeddah also boasts the highest fountain in the world, named King Fahd Fountain, they also have the annual Jeddah Festival bringing many visitors to the city during which, there are many games and activities held in the city like, water skiing competitions, art exhibitions, and music festivals.
Jeddah has been a port and trading city for centuries, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants. Today, it is the major commercial center of Saudi Arabia. It also has many government offices. Jeddah is known in the kingdom for its. It also hosts the Jeddah Corniche (waterfront area), which is the largest in the Kingdom with a great bunch of hotels, beaches and resorts clustered around it.
King Fahd Fountain Jeddah
Picture Courtesy of helmutkunert
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