Maha Hassan Al Fasi

Saudi Arabia

Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia. Home to the

Masjid al- Haram, it is the holist city in

Islam and plays an important role in the

faith. Islamic tradition attributes the

beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's

descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic

prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in

the city, by then an important trading

center, and the city played an important role

in the early history of Islam

• Mecca houses the Masjid al-

Haram, the largest mosque

in the world. The mosque

surrounds the Kaaba, the

place which Muslims turn

towards while offering daily

Salah (prayer) and

considered by Muslims to be

the holiest place on Earth.

The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is the largest

annual pilgrimage in the world,and is the fifth Pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in their

lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do

so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of

the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah

(God)The pilgrimage occurs from the 7th to 10th day the 12th month of the Islamic Calender.

The Hajj

A visit to the attractions of Saudi Arabia is a lifetime opportunity for all Muslims across the world. Home to Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest cities in Islam, Saudi Arabia is a country drenched in prayers and religious monotones.

Uhud mountain

Medina

Riyadh capital of Saudi Arabia has developed

into a dynamic metropolitan city. The capital is

one of the most popular tourist's destinations of

Saudi Arabia as it is one of the fastest

prospering cities in the world.

The National Museum

The National Museum was

established as a national landmark

in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

to contribute to the enrichment

process of education, cultural

awareness, and the development of

long association with the citizens,

and to be an eternal message.

This castle was built around 1865 under the

reign of Mohammed bin Abdullah bin

Rasheed(1289-1315 AH), the ruler of Ha’il to

the north, who had wrested control of the city

from the rival clan of Al Saud. In January

1902 Ibn Saud, who was at the time living in

exile in Kuwait succeeded in capturing the

Masmak fortress from its Rashid garrison.

The event, which restored Al Saud control

over Riyadh, has acquired almost mythical

status in the history of Saudi Arabia and has

been retold many times, but has as its central

theme the heroism and bravery of the future

King Abd Abdulaziz Ibn Saud.

Al Masmak Castle

The height of the Kingdom Tower

is 311 m (1000 ft). High Kingdom

Tower is the tallest skyscraper in

Saudi Arabia and the 36th tallest

building in the world.

Kingdom Tower

Al Faisaliyah Center was the

first skyscraper constructed in

Saudi Arabia, and is the

second tallest building in the

country after the Kingdom

Center.

Al Faisaliyah

Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or

Jedda;) is a Saudi Arabian city 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, and the second

largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital

city, Riyadh.

Jeddah

The population of the city currently stands at

over 3.4 million. It is considered the

commercial capital of Saudi Arabia.

Jeddah is the principal gateway to Mecca,

Islam's holiest city, which able-bodied Muslims

are required to visit at least once in their

lifetime.

Residents of Jeddah are called Jeddans. Jeddah

has 24 sister cities, which are selected based on

economic, cultural and political criteria.

King Fahd`s fountain also known as Jeddah fountain is the tallest fountain in the world. It is one of the famous landmarks of Jeddah, which is the wealthiest city on the Middle East located on the coast of the red sea.The fountain was built in the 1980`s and is listed in the Guinness world records as the tallest fountain in the world. The fountain was donated to the city of Jeddah by King Fahd

King Fahd`s fountain

hence its name. Visible through out the entire city of Jeddah. The water it shoots out reaches a speed of 233 miles per hour. At any moment the weight of the water can reach in excess of 18 tons. The fountain was developed between 1980 and 1983.It began operating in 1985.The fountain does not shoot out freshwater but saltwater taken from the Red sea.

The Red Beach

The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asiaa. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden. In the north are the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal).

Al-Balad (Old Town)

Top sight of Jeddah is al-Balad, or the old town. The city wall has long since been torn down, but the old gates still mark where it once stood. Within you'll find a warren of ancient buildings and traditional souqs (markets), and the teetering, multistory coral houses that Jeddah is famous for. Unfortunately, coral is not a very durable building material, and most of the buildings are in disrepair.

Souq al-Alawi. At the heart of the old city,

coral houses line both sides of this busy market

street

. A photography permit is theoretically

necessary (inquire at the office behind Naseef

house),

but in practice nobody seems to bat an eyelid as

long as you don't stick your camera in people's

faces without permission. Naseef House.