Jeddah has plenty to offer culture vultures and art enthusiasts in the way of museums.
From Islamic artefacts to ancient artwork and everything in between, pretty much all tastes are catered to here.
So, where to start? With us, of course. Here are the best museums in Jeddah to check out on your next visit.
Al Tayebat Museum
This privately owned museum has four floors dedicated to showcasing Islamic and Saudi artefacts. The displays range from exquisite Islamic manuscripts, old coins and weaponry to beautiful furniture, pottery and traditional Saudi dress. The information panels on all of the exhibits are excellent, but if you want a more personal overview on what they all are, get to the museum early and try and book a private tour.
Rayhanat Al Jazirah, Al Faisaliyah District, Jeddah (+966 56 6984).
Historical Palace Khuzam
Built over 80 years ago, the museum houses a very regal collection. As well as a number of King Abdul Aziz’s personal belongings, lots of the items on display belonged to the first Muslim Caliph Abou Bakr Al-Siddi.
Jeddah (+966 12 636 4271).
Jeddah Our Days of Bliss Magad Museum
Before Jeddah became the cosmopolitan city it is today, it was a small trading town. This museum, while it’s not particularly big, shows the moment things started to change. The items on display include things like the first glass Pepsi bottle, old banknotes and gramophones that come from the industrialised west during the mid-20th century.
Suq Al Alawi, Al Balad District, Jeddah.
Jeddah Sculpture Museum
This open-air museum houses 20 sculptures by the likes of Joan Miró and Henry Moore and date back to the 1970s when Jeddah invested heavily in art. There are some pretty cool installations from abstract bronze shapes to a depiction of a giant flame and each one represents something specific about Jeddah’s heritage and culture. One of our favourites? Maha Malluh’s sculpture, Abraj, which is made of re-creations of aluminum pots that came from various Saudi Arabian flea markets – a perfect example of one person’s junk being another person’s treasure.
Al Andalus, Jeddah, www.sculpturesofjeddah.com.
Municipality Museum (Bait Al Balad)
Originally the British legion’s headquarters in Jeddah between 1915 and the mid-1930s, Beit Al Balad now serves as a popular museum housing artefacts, paintings and photographs by Saudi artists that document the history of the city. A stunning tribute to Hejazi architecture, the museum is believed to have been built by fisherman using coral from the Red Sea during the early 20th century.
Al Baghdadiyah, Al Gharbiyah, Jeddah (+966 54 653 7952).
Museum of Science and Technology in Islam
This is one you might persuade the kids to join you at if you’re travelling with the family. The interactive exhibits showcase the wonders of modern science and attracts over 200,000 visitors every year. So, it must be good.
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Jeddah, www.museum.kaust.edu.sa (+966 12 808 3588).
Nassif House Museum
A grand mansion that has been transformed into a museum that houses kitchen utensils, pottery and photographs from a bygone era. While the collection of atrefacts isn’t all that extensive, the building itself, which is the former temporary home of King Abdul Aziz, is
beautiful with intricate carvings on the facades, railings, pillars and ceilings.
8am-11.55pm Mon-Sat, 8am-noon and 6pm-midnight Sun. Al Dhahab, Al Balad, Jeddah.
