Jeddah - Red Sea Images

These shots of the Red Sea coastline were taken before the whole Coronavirus thing hit.  Enjoy!

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Jeddah Life of a Street Vendor

Jeddah Sculpture - The Rocket

Al Saroukh - "The Rocket" - is one of two similarly themed sculptures created by Salah Abdulkarim, who created about a dozen of the most graceful artworks for the City of Jeddah in the 1970s and 80s. Much of his work is derived from his interpretations of verses from the Quran and makes use of large scale scraps of iron, steel and bronze. 

Among his other contributions around the city are The Mameluke Minarets and Stalks of Wheat.  He was also responsible for the huge mosaic tile mound depicting the solar system which was the base for the famous Jeddah sculpture called The Cosmos. Unfortunately the mosaic artwork no longer exists, as the roundabout it was located in has been dismantled and replaced with a bridge.

The photo below gives you an idea of the sculpture in its natural setting and its close proximity to the Red Sea.

Jeddah's Floating Mosque on the Red Sea

Al Rahma Mosque is better known as Jeddah's Floating Mosque.  It is also called Fatima Al Zahra Mosque.  It is probably the most well known and visited mosques in Jeddah.  It was completed in 1985. For more details about the specifics of the mosque itself, CLICK HERE.

Villa Styles of Jeddah

Jeddah Cityscape Late Afternoon

I took these shots from the rooftop of our building as the day was coming to an end.  The two shots were taken just three minutes apart and are almost identical, but you can see the difference in the colors.

In the bottom photo, the buildings have turned more golden, the white clouds are much pinker, and the blue sky has deepened as well. 

Saudi Arabia Corona Virus Measures

Since the Corona virus scare, the Saudi government has taken swift measures to ensure the safety of the citizens. There is a huge difference in the way Saudi Arabia has handled this crisis compared to America.
These are some of the measures taken by the Saudi government -
Before the end of February, religious pilgrims were prohibited until further notice from coming into the country, before any cases of the virus were confirmed within the country.
All international flights were ceased , followed by domestic flights and other forms of domestic travel shortly thereafter.
Schools have been closed until next fall, with virtual instruction being implemented at the moment.
The only businesses allowed open are pharmacies, groceries, and gas stations.
Restaurants are available for take out or delivery only.
A curfew has taken effect, with no one allowed out from 7pm to 6am and violators will be charged a fine of 10,000 Saudi Riyals. 
Mosques are closed, with the Calls to Prayer telling people instead to pray at home!  (This is unprecedented, as far as I have been told.) 

These boxes on the Red Sea house prayer rugs

As of March 24th, the total number of cases in Saudi Arabia was under 800, with one death.
Kudos to Saudi Arabia for putting the health of its citizens first, ahead of the economy.

Life on Jeddah's Corniche

Today's post is just a couple of shots of slices of life on Jeddah's Corniche, along the Red Sea coastline.

Our World - Peaceful and Pensive

I love taking photos here of the Red Sea, with a person gazing out upon the rolling waters of so many shades of turquoise.  It makes me wonder what they are thinking about or if they are just there to appreciate the beauty, the quiet, and the solitude. 

There is a sense of peace and calm and hope in these photos - and I like that feeling. 

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Sculpture of Engineer's Tools in Jeddah

One of Jeddah's still remaining roundabouts sports a sculpture called Engineer's Tools.  The giant sized instruments for measuring that it features include a compass, a protractor, and rulers.  You can see a better photo of this sculpture by clicking HERE.

Jeddah Character Cakes

Birthday celebrations have become more commonplace over the years since my arrival in the Land of Sand.  Jeddah even has several branches of  Chuck E Cheese restaurants that offer children's parties.  Sponge Bob Squarepants and Hello Kitty. Spiderman and Superman.  Take your pick of any theme! I just love seeing all the pretty cakes in the bakery department.

Jeddah Huge Bicycle Sculpture

One of Jeddah's most well known sculptures is The Bicycle.  Soaring to a height of 15 meters, the piece of art is made of scrap metal and is the work of Spanish architect and sculptor Julio Lafuente.  For many years, the sculpture was located in the middle of a huge busy traffic circle and sat on top of an enormous mound.  However due to severe traffic congestion, most of the traffic circles in the city of Jeddah have been eliminated in recent years and replaced with a system of overpasses or tunnels for more efficient and smoother traffic flow.  The Bicycle is still located at the same crossroads as before but it now sits next to a bridge.  It is elevated by several supports at each wheel, preventing people from climbing up on to it. 

SkyWatch - Getting Closer

For these three shots in today's post, I zoomed in a little for each shot.  I like the purple neon contrast against the orange, pink and yellow sky.

There was a total of about 20 seconds time span between the first and last photos.  Hope you all are faring well with Life as We Now Know 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.

Divine Chocolate Mousse Cake

OMG the absolute BEST chocolate mousse cake ever is in Jeddah at a chain of pastry shops called Saededdin.  There are several different versions, including plain, with nuts, or crispy crunch.  I do consider myself quite an expert on chocolate for several reasons. First, it is one of my favorite things in the world.  Second I used to own a chocolate shop. And third is my extensive experience in sampling countless chocolates from all over the world.  LOL!

But don't just take my word for it - try the chocolate mousse cake from Saededdin and see for yourself.  

Modern and Colorful Jeddah

Jeddah is an eclectic mix of old and new, drab and colorful. This post shows the brighter side of modern Jeddah, where there are many entertainment centers and amusement parks catering to families.  Most shopping malls here have an area designated for family entertainment, so mothers can go and do their shopping while their kids are looked after by maids or nannies in the amusement area.  The colorful green and yellow building below is actually part of a larger international school complex which accommodates grades K through 10.  Happy St. Patty's Day!

Our World - Grains, Seeds, Nuts and Beans

One thing I love about living Saudi Arabia is the interesting mix of the old and the new.  Not only do we have huge modern supermarkets here in Saudi Arabia, we also have little old time shops that cling to life the way it was in the past.

There are many little shops like this one where one can choose from a large assortment of grains, seeds, nuts and beans which can be ground together  in a large machine to make one's own custom made mix of flour to suit your desire. 

I would imagine a shop like this is particularly good for those with specific allergies or medical conditions such as needing to avoid gluten.  The machine below grinds it all together in an instant and the end product is quite reasonably priced as well. 

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.

Jeddah Business Strip

Jeddah's New Airport Terminal

Jeddah airport's newest terminal has been open now for over a year.  It's a very modern design. First photo is looking up at the ceiling along the walk from the ticket counter to the gate area.

This is the outside of part of the terminal. You can't see much of it, but the main part of the structure has a wavy copper roof, barely visible in this photo.

This shot was taken going doing the escalator to the gate area.  I love the ceiling design and the modern blue lighting.  Below is another outside shot of the wavy rooftop.

Mystical Landscape of Al Ula

The sandstone rock formations of Al Ula are truly unique. The narrow opening shown above separating two enormous rocks is aptly called The Guitar.

As the sun goes down over Al Ula, the silence of the desert amplifies while the sunset paints the sky and the moon rises marking the end of the day.

SkyWatch - Madein Saleh's Most Iconic Tomb

Taking photos at Al Fareed as the waning sun lowers itself behind the enormous sandstone rock landscape is a photographer's dream.  Nature's colors intensify and deepen, shadows become more dramatic, and the somber silence seems to amplify the the echoes of voices heard thousands of years ago.

Al Fareed is the iconic symbol of Madein Saleh, the ancient Nabataean burial grounds of tombs carved into the colossal sandstone rocks.  Its name translates from Arabic into "unique."  One of the factors that accentuates this tomb from the others is that it stands alone, the only tomb carved into one humongous massive stone by itself.  Another unique feature of this tomb is the fact that it sports four columns on its face, instead of the usual two. In addition the tomb itself was never completed and was never used for burial.

UNESCO confirmed Madein Saleh as a historic world heritage site in 2008.  

The moon rises above Al Fareed in Madein Saleh.

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.