A beautiful and huge stained glass wall of windows dominates the ambiance in a cultural heritage building in Riyadh. It features the Saudi flag and Saudi landscape. This picture doesn't do it justice nor does it give an idea of its size, but it is really spectacular in person. Happy New Year from Saudi Arabia, everyone!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Riyadh: Stained Glass
A beautiful and huge stained glass wall of windows dominates the ambiance in a cultural heritage building in Riyadh. It features the Saudi flag and Saudi landscape. This picture doesn't do it justice nor does it give an idea of its size, but it is really spectacular in person. Happy New Year from Saudi Arabia, everyone!
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Halla Bint Khalid's Book Characters
These are life sized characters I saw at a display for Halla bint Khalid Children's Books. While trying to figure out what she wanted to do when she grew up, Halla discovered that she had artistic abilities - and she never looked back. Her career as an author really took off when she began writing and illustrating the stories she used to tell her own children. Most of her books are available in both Arabic and English and many of her stories were inspired by her kids. Her whimsical and colorful characters are very appealing to children and adults alike.
You can Like Halla bint Khalid on Facebook, or check out her website by clicking here.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Jeddah: Obstacles to Traffic Flow
I've written many times complaining about the traffic congestion in Jeddah. This city is very long and narrow, running for miles and miles along the Red Sea Coast, yet not stretching very wide across. Many of the streets are blocked off with pylons like this, making right turns, left turns, or U-turns impossible. Roads are blocked everywhere all over Jeddah. Traffic flows fairly well north to south, but the problems arise when you need to turn left or turn around. Vehicles are forced to go miles and miles beyond where they need to go in order to make a left turn or a U-turn. This means that cars are on the roads creating more traffic congestion than is necessary. It wastes everyone's time and gas.
Traffic flow continues to be a major problem for the residents of Jeddah. I have never seen such flawed thought and poor planning of roadways in any city I have ever seen.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Khanjar Shirt
Kalimah Brand offers really unique and lovely Middle Eastern themed items in their shop located on the lower level of the Red Sea Mall. This top features the traditional curved dagger called khanjar which is well known in Saudi Arabia but actually originated in Oman. I saw many men openly wearing these daggers hanging from their belts when I traveled down to Najran in southern Saudi Arabia. In other areas the khanjar would be worn for special ceremonies, like maybe weddings.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Saudi Home Interior
True Saudi homes have at least two separate entrances and two separate living rooms for entertaining guests - one for men and the other for women. Saudi taste in furnishings for the entertaining areas leans toward more formal and classic Persian carpets and elegant chandeliers are also favorites in Saudi homes.
Many homes also have another family living room in another area of the home where the family gathers together at their leisure. It is not uncommon to also have two separate kitchens as well. I have been in Saudi homes with 4-5 living rooms.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
CDP Theme Day: Shop Window
Abayas - the long black cloaks that women in Saudi Arabia must wear - don't have to be just black any more!
Today is the first of the month, which means it's theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers. City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers from around the world, sharing the wonders of their area of the world pictorially with others. Each month there is a different theme that CDP members can participate in. This month's theme is "Shop Window."
Please visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day of "Shop Window."
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Wines in Saudi Arabia
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Thursday, November 26, 2015
SkyWatch: Religious Pilgrim
A religious pilgrim walks along the streets of Jeddah. Sighting of religious pilgrims are common here as Jeddah is the country's main port of entry for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
To visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Jeddah: Bicycle Sculpture
Jeddah's famous Bicycle sculpture has been moved, since the roundabout it used to be housed in has been dismantled and replaced with a bridge overpass. It was quite a feat to relocate this piece of art to a new position at the same intersection. It took lots of planning and special equipment.
The Bicycle was fashioned from scrap metals by Spanish architect Julio LaFuente. It stands 15 meters high.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Dress for Religious Pilgrims
All male religious pilgrims making the pilgrimage to Mecca wear the same thing: a simple white outfit made of two plain pieces of cloth with no seams, buttons, or zippers. One is wrapped around the lower half of the body like a skirt, and the other is draped over the top part of the body as shown above. The fabric can be anything ranging from cotton sheeting to heavier fabric like a towel. All men dressing the same makes them all equal, no classes.
Women are not restricted in the clothing that they wear for the religious pilgrimage, but they must be covered properly according to Islamic standards, including the hair.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Our World: Unusual Architectural Entrance
I am always amused when I see unusual architectural features in Saudi Arabia such as this one, which seems out of place and also seems to really serve no purpose.
Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Jeddah: Bridges and Tunnels
The face of Jeddah has been changing significantly over the past few years. Many of Jeddah's major intersections have been replaced by tunnels and bridges in hopes of easing the horrific traffic congestion. Jeddah's shape runs lengthwise from north to south and is a very narrow city from east to west. At many busy intersections that formerly sported huge roundabouts which featured immense pieces of art, the artwork has been moved elsewhere.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
SkyWatch: The Cosmos Sculpture
Jeddah's Cosmos Sculpture is one of the city's most well known landmarks. It is the work of German artist Ottmar Hollmann and took seven years to complete. It ranks as one of the world's largest pieces of art.
To learn more about the amazing Cosmos sculpture of Jeddah, please CLICK HERE to see a previous post about it.
To visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
Our World: Hardee's in Arabic
Black buildings here in Saudi Arabia seem impractical in this heat, but this Hardee's Restaurant sure stands out. It's hard to miss and is rather attractive.
Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Jeddah: Boys' School
This is a typical boys' school here in Jeddah. I believe there are two buildings like this which make up the school plus a large open covered outdoor area. Many of the country's school are old and in disrepair. Many girls' schools are old converted villas which were not originally intended to be schools.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Saudi Men's Formal Wear
The bisht is a loose flowing cloak worn over the white dress Saudi men normally wear. It is generally worn on formal occasions, such as weddings, and is often adorned with gold trim. The bisht can be made of wool, with good quality ones being made of camel hair. They most often are seen in colors like black, brown, grey, or beige. The long white flowing scarf would be the man's head covering accessory topped off with the round black ring called egal.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Jeddah: Construction Here There and Everywhere
Jeddah continues to be a city under construction. It's everywhere. From roadway improvements consisting of tunnels and bridges to alleviate traffic congestion, to the enormous speed rail project connecting Jeddah to Mecca and eventually Medina for the millions of religious pilgrims that visit every year, to apartment buildings and new businesses, to a brand new airport slated to open in mid-2016, the construction pace is frenetic. Construction workers are brought in from countries all over the world.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
SkyWatch: Jeddah's Fruit Boat Sculpture
Jeddah's weather is really harsh on the many sculptures located around the city, especially those that require paint to keep them looking spiffy. Between the flying dust and sand, the severe heat from the blazing hot sun, the salty Red Sea air, and the lack of rainfall, Jeddah's sculptures really take a beating. Jeddah's whimsical Fruit Boat sculpture is a well-known city landmark. It was given a much needed facelift in 2008 when it was cleaned, repainted and repaired. However a few short years later, a thick layer of dirt now covers up the once vibrant colors, causing the sculpture to appear quite faded once again. You can see the difference for yourself on this post I did on the Fruit Boat sculpture back when it had just been refurbished.
To visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Saudi Arabia: Men's Fashion
The components of traditional men's attire in Saudi Arabia, such as the scarf headpieces, cloaks, sandals, and the long white garments called thobes, make up a large part of the booming fashion industry here. White thobes are most commonly worn, but they are available in other colors like shades of creams, grays, or blues. In the winter months we can see men wearing darker colors like black, brown, or navy. This lovely store display is from a local upscale Jeddah design shop called Lomar, which also has branches in Riyadh.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Jeddah: Where Face Masks are Common
Many women here in Saudi Arabia cover their faces with the niqab (face veil), however it is a very common sight year round in Jeddah to see men wearing face masks because of the poor air quality. Construction projects all over the city, lack of rainfall, and frequent sandstorms all contribute to making Jeddah a nightmare for those of us with asthma or other breathing problems.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Our World: Jeddah's Lantern Sculpture in Sandstorm
Jeddah is a pretty dusty place, due to not much vegetation, construction, and sandstorms. The Mameluke Lanterns sculpture is still recognizable despite bad visibility during a sandstorm, although the beautiful stained glass detailing is not evident.
Here are some other previous posts I have made of the lanterns:
Mameluke Mosque Lanterns at Night
Mameluke Lanterns
Mameluke Lanterns Jeddah
Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
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