goodbye, again

baboons of taif

Just before my final departure, I got my fill of baboons!

Who would have guessed that the mountains in this region are home to large numbers of these menaces... Where exactly do they live? That's yet another mystery of the land to me.

They've been known to come down from the mountains in troops and attack the local towns in search of food and water. Apparently local residents live in fear of random attacks causing considerable damage.

I got out of there before this guy's expression turned any more grim.

Daily offerings to the angry mob.

hug me al balad

I've always wanted to reference T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia) in my blog, and finally, here is a quote of his about the historic quarter of Jeddah, Al Balad:

It was indeed a remarkable town. The streets were alleys, wood roofed in the main bazaar, but elsewhere open to the sky in the little gap between the tops of the lofty white-walled houses.

These days, the "lofty white-walled houses" are a bit less impressive and a bit more sparse.

Up until recently, not many cared about this old district that was like a hangover from the past among a rapidly modernizing city... This is the type of modernity that has replaced much of the old fabric.

There was a certain romance about the old city that is now like a lingering ghost in Jeddah. As an example, here is what the Saudi Tourism Commission has to say about one of Al Balad's districts:

One of the alleys that is unfortunately no longer there is Hug Me Alley. This passage was snake shaped and so narrow that only one person at a time could pass through it. If two people were to walk through, they would have to move so close as if they were holding each other.

More of Al Balad here.

al balad souk

al hada

There is little desire here to preserve sites that address the history of a place (unless of course they have religious significance). Old settlements are often seen as backwards and are either razed or left to deteriorate. Progress is to rebuild everything bigger and better than before, and history is seen not so much through built form as through the pages of the Holy Qur'an.

coat of arms

street crossing

This situation just about sums up the pedestrian crossing experience in Jeddah — at best, a crosswalk leading to nowhere amid high-speed traffic.

al madinah al munawwarah (the enlightened city)

I haven't come across another city with as many different names as Madinah. It's said to have around a hundred — all of them indicative of the high respect it held for Muslims throughout history... Yathrib is it's only name predating Islam; with the arrival of Prophet Mohammed, the name had been changed to Al Madinah (The City), and since, many other, endearing names have been documented... Just a little sampling:

• Al Daar wa Al Imaan (The Home and The Faith),
• Al Miskeenah (The Humble),
• Al Jibaarah (The Extraordinary),
• Al Mujboorah (The Formidable),
• Al Jaabirah (The Comforter),
• Al Mahboobah (The Beloved),
• Al Qaasamah (The Destroyer of Disbelief),
• Daar Al Abraar (Abode of the Justified),
• Daar Al Salaam (Abode of Peace),
• Daar Al Fath (Centre of Conquest),
• Al Saalihah (The Excellent),
• Al Munawwarah (The Illuminated),
• Daar Al Mustafa (Abode of the Chosen),
• Qariyah Al Ansaar (Village of the Helpers),
• Dthaat Al Nakhl (Possessed of Date Palms),
• Sayyidah Al Baldaan (Eminent of Towns),
• Dthaat Al Harraar (Possessor of Nobility),
• Daar Al Akhyaar (Abode of Superiority),
• Al Marhoomah (The Kindness),
• Al Khairah (The Best),
• Al Mubaarakah (The Blessed),
• Al Marzooqah (The Successful),
etc...

adding to the suzuki legacy

I keep finding more notable additions:

For the rest click here.

designer abaya

So much of life in urban Saudi Arabia is about the expression of status, which people find ways to display even within the confines of tradition... I wonder what Coco would say.

earth monument 2

Madain Saleh — after Petra, the second most-important settlement of the Nebataens — isolated in a remote part of Saudi Arabia.

madain saleh