The Hijazi heritage doesn't only reflect the history of one of the oldest regions in the Arabian Peninsula, but also reflects the area's great traditions. The Jeddah Municipality organized the Heritage Architectural Exhibition at the Abo Safiyah and Bassyoney houses in Al-Balad's historical district last week. The five-day exhibition aimed to reconnect young generations with their Hijazi heritage through detailed explanations of how previous generations used to live in Jeddah's historic districts and specifically, the extent to which they went to protect those historic buildings on their meagre incomes. The exhibition has several designated wings for photography, architecture, decoration, the manual work sector, cuisine, art and fashion. According to Jeddah Municipality, there are many activities accompanying the exhibition, including an architectural photography competition and a live show of professional architectural restoration. Moreover, in an attempt to attract the city's most talented artists, the municipality offered a fine arts workshop as well as a number of lectures and seminars on architectural heritage. “In 1970, there were 1,200 historical buildings. Sadly, only 350 remain,” the Director of Historical Jeddah Urban Regeneration and Development at the municipality, Adnan Adas, told Saudi Gazette. “These two houses (Abo Safiyah and Bassyoney) used to be the resting place for pilgrims on their way to Makkah during the Hajj season.” Adas added that the municipality aimed to restore the traditional lifestyle of this historic area; as a result, they have converted the old buildings into traditional restaurants, heritage hotels, coffee shops and bazaars. Mansojat foundation, which is one of the exhibitors at the Abo Safiyah and Bassyoney houses, participated to show visitors the different traditions of Saudi tribes from across the Kingdom. Their exhibit included accessories, clothes, footwear and hand-made traditional items like leather bracelets, and head-wear for women. “We are a charity organization and all of our products are hand-made by physically disabled women who are deaf and dumb. We have tried, though this exhibition, to reflect the traditions of various tribes in the Kingdom,” said Masha'el Al-Faisal, the representative of Mansojat foundation, during the exhibition. The exhibition also included the participation of interior design departments from both Dar Al-Hekma college and King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. “We have taken photos of historic buildings in Al-Balad in order to redesign and re-construct them in a modern way but without losing their traditional, Hijazi essence,” remarked We'am Al-Hebshi, an interior design student from King Abdul Aziz University. Heba Al-Otaiby, a student at Dar Al-Hekma college said that her department participated in the exhibition to show people that remnant of their great heritage have survived and the importance of re-connecting to it. The exhibition also included the participation of Hesham Banjabi, who is considered the founder of Jeddah fine arts society in 1973. This arts society aimed to promote the art of the Hijaz to foreigners. “Once I found out about the heritage exhibition here, I decided to participate as it provides the artists here with a good chance to gather and reflect on our civilization and our great Hijazi tradition too,” he said to Saudi Gazette. Banjabi, who has been the head of the arts commission at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), had brought his artistic tools along and soon began pursuing pursuing his passion for painting.
