Plans are afoot to establish a new company for the rehabilitation of archeological buildings and monuments in Jeddah's Historical Area. The company will be set up within three months and will function under Jeddah Company for Urban Development. Dr. Adnan Adas, Director of the Development and Rehabilitation of Buildings in the Historical Area at Jeddah Mayoralty, was quoted by Al-Hayat Arabic daily that his administration has tendered a contract for illuminating the Historical Area at a total cost of SR27 million. He said the Architecture Department has already started restoration work in four historical buildings. Dr. Adas said recent incidents of fire wherein some buildings in the area were completely gutted were a great loss to an urban and architectural heritage recognized worldwide. He said owners of these buildings should be held accountable as they had rented out the buildings to people with no or little knowledge of the historic value of the area. He said the mayoralty was in the process of compiling a technical directory stating or defining the period for the renovation of these historical buildings. The construction of Historical Area is situated in the northwest of Jeddah, stretches back to the year 910 Hijra during the era of Sultan Al-Ghauri. The Historical Area comprises old buildings, mosques and markets. Among the noted archeological buildings which are linked to Hijazi families are Bait Aal Naseef and Aal Jamjoom. According to the historians, Othman Bin Affan, Imam Al-Shafei and Imam Al-Hanafi mosques were built between the 3rd and 8th Hijri. __
