Where to Stay in Jeddah, Mecca Region

What is Jeddah known for?

Jeddah is known as the main Red Sea port of the Hejaz and the second-largest city of Saudi Arabia after Riyadh. Its old quarter, Al-Balad, keeps the historic merchant houses of the coast, among them Nasseef House. Pilgrims pass through Jeddah on the way to Mecca and Medina.

The port has worked these waters for centuries. Commerce on the Red Sea made this Hejaz port.

What are the main landmarks in Jeddah?

Jeddah's landmarks cluster in Al-Balad, the historic old town by the Red Sea. Nasseef House and the Qishla of Jeddah stand among its historic buildings. Museums line the quarter.

The Jeddah Regional Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography and the House of Islamic Arts Museum sit nearby, along with the Tariq Abdul Hakim Museum. On the coast, Al-Shallal Theme Park draws crowds to the waterfront.

What is the history of Jeddah?

Jeddah rose as a port on the Red Sea, and its history turns on the pilgrimage. Its prominence grew in 647 CE, when the Caliph Uthman named it the main port serving travellers to Mecca. From then on, pilgrims bound for Mecca and Medina came ashore here.

Ships brought the world to its docks. The Red Sea carried trade and pilgrims to the same shore. The old town of Al-Balad grew up behind the harbour.

For centuries the city lived by the sea and by the Hajj to Mecca. Merchants raised the historic houses of Al-Balad, among them Nasseef House, on the wealth that passed through the port. The Hajj kept the harbour busy through the centuries, as the faithful crossed the sea toward Mecca and Medina beyond it.

The Qishla of Jeddah still stands from those days. In time the city spread far along the coast, well beyond the old quarter. Jeddah became the second-largest city of Saudi Arabia and its main commercial centre.

The port still works. Al-Balad remains its heart. The Red Sea and the road to Mecca made the city what it is.

Where is Jeddah?

Jeddah lies on the Red Sea coast, in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, the largest city of Mecca Province. The city stretches along the shore for a great length, its built-up area matching Jeddah Governorate. The Red Sea edges it.

Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam, lie a few hours inland from the coast. Beyond the shore, the land rises toward the interior.

What is the climate of Jeddah?

Jeddah has a hot desert climate softened by the Red Sea. Summers are long, humid, and searing, with warm nights along the coast. Rain almost never falls.

The sea keeps the air heavy through much of the year, so the heat feels stronger than the desert interior around Mecca. Winters stay mild and short beside the warm water.

How do you get to Jeddah?

Most travellers arrive in Jeddah by air or by sea. The city has long been the main entry point for pilgrims, and its airport handles arrivals from across the world, while Jeddah Islamic Port takes in ships on the Red Sea. Roads run inland to Mecca and Medina, a few hours away.

Jeddah connects by road to Riyadh and the rest of Saudi Arabia. The sea is the oldest road here.