Jeddah was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites Saturday. The World Heritage Committee, meeting in Doha, has added Jeddah to the World Heritage List. Also added to the list were historical monuments and sites in Iraq, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands.
The historic port city of Jeddah was given recognize for its role as a major Red Sea trade route throughout its 2,500-year history as well as being a gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Makkah who arrived by sea. The inscription on the World Heritage List. States: “Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (Saudi Arabia) is situated on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. From the 7th century A.D. it was established as a major port for Indian Ocean trade routes, channeling goods to Mecca. It was also the gateway for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca who arrived by sea. These twin roles saw the city develop into a thriving multicultural centre, characterized by a distinctive architectural tradition, including tower houses built in the late 19th century by the city’s mercantile elites, and combining Red Sea coastal coral building traditions with influences and crafts from along the trade routes.”
