SCENES FROM SAUDI

MAMA CAMEL FEEDING HER BABY

CASTLE ARCHITECTURE IN JEDDAH

ARABIC WALL DESIGN IN JEDDAH

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ASIR HOME DECOR DESIGN - Al-Qatt Al-Asiri

Al-Qatt Al-Asiri is a traditional Saudi home decorating application where bright colors are hand-painted onto plastered walls as murals in geometric lines and shapes, like triangles, squares, stripes, branches and arrows.  

Women of the Asir region in Saudi Arabia are credited with creating this old technique, originally intended to decorate the entryway of the home to welcome guests.  The paintings eventually spread to the rest of the home, in hallways, sitting rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms.  Wealthier households were adorned with more intricate designs, more colors and patterns, while not so affluent homes sported simpler designs.  

To learn more about this traditional art form and to see more wonderful examples of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, CLICK HERE. 

A big THANK YOU to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to use these photos for today's post.  Visit his Instagram page  @NajranTours  

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Jeddah Typical Villa

Here is another typical villa in Jeddah - large residence and tall walls surrounding it.  

Jeddah Villa Unusual Design

Family villas in Jeddah are usually quite large to accommodate large families, plus household help like maids and drivers.  All villas that I have ever seen here are surrounded by high walls to afford privacy for the women of the family.  Also notice the wall extension on the left which adds more height to the already tall wall for even more privacy from any prying eyes from the neighbors.

This particular villa seems to be a combination of different architectural styles that aren't generally used together in the same design - I've never seen castle-like rounded turrets paired together with tall columns. 

Jeddah Villa Gate

Villa Styles of Jeddah

SkyWatch - Jeddah Villa with Rotunda

A villa in Jeddah with a large rotunda architectural feature - which always reminds me of castles.

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Jeddah Palace Gate

Our World: Dr. Seuss Style in Jeddah

Saudi Arabia is a very family-oriented place, full of entertainment facilities that cater to children. Among these are water parks and amusement centers.  I've never been inside the walls of the business featured in today's post, but I enjoy the Dr. Seuss styled wall, lampposts, and roof.



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Jeddah Walled Villa

Stately villas here in Jeddah are almost always surrounded by tall walls for privacy.  I really like the  details of the columns and the elegant gates.

Jeddah Bird Wall Mosaic

Continuing on from yesterday's post, here are some photos that show the walls and environment of the beautiful mosaics on the walls of a lovely family villa in Jeddah.

There are many little nooks along the walls as well, such as this, where workers can take a break or eat their lunches in the shade.

The palm trees, bougainvillea, and other tropical vegetation enhance the beauty of the mosaics.

I believe the walls of the villa extend along two sides of the block.  The grounds inside must be fairly large.

Hope you've enjoyed one of my favorite walls of Jeddah!

Our World: Jeddah Birds Wall Mosaic

The tall walls surrounding Jeddah's family villas are sometimes enhanced with unexpected artwork or details.

As a fan and designer of mosaics myself, I appreciate the hard work, talent and thought that goes into the making of mosaics.

These pics are all closeups of small portions of mosaics which grace the walls around a villa in Jeddah.

I like the geometric patterns and the birds that are featured in these mosaics.  What do you think?



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: Villa's Wooden Gate

Wood doesn't wear very well in the hot dusty climate of Jeddah, so it's unusual to see wooden gates such as this one.  Most gates are made of metal here.  Paint also doesn't bode well in this climate either, so most often buildings are finished with tiles or stone. 

Jeddah Villa Arched Gates

Many family villas in Saudi Arabia take up most of the space of the lots they are built on, with very limited outside space around the villas. Many also utilize the rooftop area as play areas for the children or for leisure activities in the winter months when the weather is more tolerable.  Rooftops in Jeddah are mostly flat since there is very little annual rainfall.

I like the arches above the gates of this home as well as the opaque material that lets light through but affords privacy at the same time. I also like the red tiles above the wall and gates that finish it off nicely. 

Jeddah: Stately Villa

Saudi families are generally much larger than the average American family, and therefore require larger living accommodations.  Many families also include extended family members in the household, such as elderly parents or grandchildren, as well as housemaids.

Jeddah: Villa Gates

Family villas surrounded by tall walls afford much sought after privacy.

Jeddah: Villa with Covered Parking

There are many tented parking shades like these around Jeddah.  Some of the big malls also have covered or underground parking or parking garages. As you can imagine, the heat is relentless in the warmer months.

Jeddah: Asian Villa Gate

This villa's gate in Jeddah has a very Asian vibe going on.

Gate and Shadows

I'm not sure if this gate is to a villa or a business of some kind. There is a sign above the entrance but I don't know what it says.  The palm trees and crossed swords in the wrought iron details makes me think that it's some type of government facility.  I love all the shadows on the wall at play here.