SkyWatch Jeddah's Al Anani Mosque

The Al Anani Mosque of Jeddah sits along the Red Sea in the Middle Corniche.  At night its golden dome and twin minarets are lit up and the mosque looks magical.  Bordering the mosque is a lovely park area with lots of shade provided by rows of palm trees.  Surrounding the mosque are parks housing many of Jeddah's most famous and beloved sculptures, which I have posted about for years.  The whole area is lovely to stroll through.

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Scenes from Produce Market

Today, a slice of life from one of Saudi Arabia's typical outdoor fruit and vegetable markets...

Outside the Vegetable Market

You can see how old tarps and carpets are used to enclose and provide shade for this outdoor fresh produce market in Yanbu.  

Jeddah - Headless, Armless Mannequins

Jeddah has more fancy ballgown dress shops than any place I've ever seen.  Weddings are a huge social event here and the female attendees go all out, like they are attending the Academy Awards.  I got used to seeing the headless mannequins here, but now there seems to be a trend for mannequins to be armless or have arms that are just mysteriously chopped off at some point.  It's kinda creepy.

I'm sure it makes it easier to dress the mannequins if the arms are removed, but if you ask me, it detracts from the appeal and the beauty of the dresses.

Is it just me, or do you find the chopped off arm look distracting too?  A gorgeous dress, so elegant, being worn by a mannequin with her arms chopped off awkwardly below the elbow.  It's just weird...

And I want to know - what happens to all these heads and arms that have been discarded?  Where do they go?  Is there a market for them?

The beadwork, the colors and the styles are truly works of art - why not display them on something a little more appropriate, instead of a hideous version of a human?  I really don't get it...

Jeddah's Beautiful Naranj Restaurant

Naranj Restaurant is a lovely elegant Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant in Jeddah.  The architectural style and details of the building are gorgeous.

The menu offers typical Syrian-Lebanese dishes, meaning lots of lamb. The outdoor patio seating under the stars is spectacular and comfortable, with the peaceful sounds of running water from the fountain. 

Kabob Mashakel Tasty Treat for Dinner

We had this dish in a restaurant in Yanbu recently.  It almost looks like a pie when it's brought to the table, but once the thin bread envelope is cut into, it reveals the tasty treats inside.

We ordered two differnt kinds of this assorted kabob dish -  one chicken and one steak dish with kabob pieces of meat with vegetables.  The bread envelope can be torn apart into small pieces and used to grab the morsels within.  Super scrumptious!

Saudi Bench Seating

I've actually seen these exact seats in several places around this area. They are very popular Saudi style outdoor seating.  Other styles may have armrests and cushions to sit on, but the wooden frame and painted designs are very typical.