COLORS OF SAUDI

ORANGES IN THE DESERT

DELICIOUS DATES

COLORFUL SPICES

ART & TEXTILES

BEDOUIN ROOM WITH QATT WALL DESIGN

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

ENJOYED THIS POST? 

SIGN UP FOR FUTURE POSTS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BOX.

LINKING TO - TUESDAY'S TREASURES

OUR WORLD TUESDAY

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

 

THIS AND THAT

GATHERING PLACE IN AL BALAD

CHOOSE YOUR NUTS, MAKE YOUR OWN FRESH BUTTER

ROADSIDE SHOP IN SAUDI ARABIA

ENJOYED THIS POST? 

SIGN UP FOR FUTURE POSTS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BOX.

LINKING TO - TUESDAY'S TREASURES

OUR WORLD TUESDAY

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

PICTORIAL TUESDAY

 

COLORS OF SAUDI ARABIA

VIBRANT SPICES

WHIMSICAL SPLASHY PAINTJOB

FRUIT MARKET

CARPET SOUK

QATT - HOME DECOR WALL ART

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

ENJOYED THIS POST? 

SIGN UP FOR FUTURE POSTS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL BOX.

 

MOSQUE ENTRANCE

Scenes like this are commonplace here in Saudi Arabia.  The entrance to a mosque at prayer time always has shoes littering the floor outside mosque doorway. At larger mosques there can be hundreds of pairs of shoes scattered outside like this at prayer time, despite the fact that there are usually plenty of cubbyholes for shoes that are rarely used.  I don't know why.  

No one wears shoes inside a mosque. All mosques are carpeted with a pattern that has markings for individuals to pray in their own space.  The carpet also indicates the direction toward Mecca, as Muslims pray facing Mecca.    

 

Jeddah: Carpets, Carpets, and More Carpets

Our World: Prayer Time

Muslims are required to pray five times per day. Many times it is not always possible to pray at home or at a mosque, so many facilities, like malls or workplaces, provide prayer areas. Before prayer, Muslims must wash up in the way prescribed by Islam. The men in the photo above are performing this cleansing ritual before prayer which is called "Wudu."

This is a carpeted outdoor prayer area at the Yanbu Flower Festival.  Prayer carpets are patterned with rows or individual spaces for worshippers and are laid out facing the direction of Mecca, the holiest city of Islam that Muslims face during prayer.




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.

Bedouin Accessories

This post contains some of the accessories one might see with featured Bedouin decor..  Above is a collection of lovely brass serving pieces.

Red carpets are a must-have for Bedouin decor, as well as dark carved wood items.

Arabic script paintings or wall hangings are also very typical when one thinks of Bedouin style home furnishings.  

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. 

Our World: Carpets

All homes in Jeddah that I have visited have flooring that is completely tiled throughout.  Most bathroomsm and sometimes even the kitchens, also are completely tiled not only on the floor but up the walls as well.  Therefore area carpets are a very popular commodity in this country.  These carpets are from the Turkish-Afghani Souk in the old part of Jeddah.  CLICK HERE FOR A MAP to this souk where you can find baskets, carpets, furniture, clothing, handicrafts,jewelry, and many other traditional handicrafts.




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: Inside a Textile Souk

Clothing, carpets, and handicrafts are available in textile shops like this one in Jeddah.  I got a kick out of seeing the handwoven piece of the US flag in the lower left corner - I certainly didn't expect to see something like that here.  The other one in the lower middle also made me chuckle because Lebanon is misspelled, something that I found on many carpets and other items in the Turkish-Afghani souk.  CLICK HERE FOR A MAP to this Jeddah souk where you can find baskets, carpets, furniture, clothing, handicrafts,jewelry, and many other traditional handicrafts.

Old Jeddah: Dried Fish

The Turkish-Afghani souk area of Jeddah is loaded with interesting shops which sell everything from furniture and carpets to traditional clothing and jewelry, and everything in between.  Lighting, baskets, and other handicrafts are abundant, making this a colorful place that is a shopper's delight. 

CLICK HERE FOR A MAP to the Turkish-Afghani souk of Old Jeddah.

Outdoor Dining - Bedouin Style

This is a very typical and traditional outdoor Bedouin style fish restaurant north of Jeddah.  There is no furniture to speak of, just carpets on the ground with cushions and portable arm rests.  This is the men's section of the restaurant.  It is divided from the family section of the restaurant with a big wall.  Notice that there are also televisions at some areas for watching sports or religious programming. 

Red Sea Seating

The day was coming to a close on the Red Sea.  Red carpets were laid out on the Corniche and some Bedouin style floor cushion seating was placed around the edge of the carpets.  I'm not really sure if this was for a special occasion or if it's a normal sight, but I thought it was very cool.