Jeddah's Al Balad

Most of the buildings of Al Balad are several stories high along very narrow streets.  They were built tall to provide shade and create air movement, thereby making the city cooler for its residents.  Because many of the buildings were built of crushed coral from the Red Sea - not exactly the sturdiest of building materials - a great many of the structures have collapsed and crumbled over the years.  Since Al Balad was named a UNESCO World Heritage site a few years ago, measures have been taken to preserve some of the buildings in the area.