We have been living in Jeddah for ten years, but so far we have never visited so beautiful a place until now, as the mosque and building in Al-Tayebat International City Museum, Masha Allah. Usually we just take pictures in front of the mosque where guests who visit Jeddah after Umrah are being ushered but a few days ago aMuslima had the opportunity to visit Al-Tayebat Museum which is located in the Faysaliyah district, around the giant bicycle monument that has become the trademark of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The building area is over 10,000 m2 and has 300 rooms with four-floors, 18 wings filled with 60,000 historical items from throughout Saudi Arabia, Persia, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, China etc. It makes anybody who visits the museum feel as if 1-2 hours is not enough time to explore all of the rooms. The walls of the building are composed of red sea coral and limestone blocks with Hijazi architectural beauty and this museum was once the palace of Sheikh Abdul Rauf Khalil, a rich merchant who dedicated his life to his country.
In this museum there is a collection of the past and present. Artifacts from the late Sheikh Khalil such as ancient documents about the history of Islam, ancient coins from the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), swords, medical equipment, paintings, carpets, ornaments from Iran, wall hangings from Syria, Egyptian artifacts, marvelous furniture from Morocco, a nuanced room of China, Jizan’s (Southwest corner of Saudi Arabia) house, and so on. You can also find wooden ornaments, gypsum, ancient stone architecture and a layout that reflects the city of old Jeddah and its activities.
If you are interested in visiting this museum it is in Al-Faysaliah 2, Rehana Al-Jadeerah Street, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It’s open every day in the afternoon from 8-12 pm and in the evening from 5-9 pm. Their contact number is +966506369004. You will not be disappointed to visit the museum.
Oh yeah… for you who cannot speak Arabic, they will provide an English speaker guide too.