Ibrahim Al-Alawi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Experts have confirmed the existence of a city buried underneath the old Jeddah area based on archeological and historical research. Abdulwahab Abu Zinadah, an expert on the history of old Jeddah that is situated in the city's Balad area, said: “When visitors visit Qabil Street and Al-Mimar Mosque they will find that its height is close to that of the road. Well, the mosque was documented to be at four meters high, which means that part of it is buried.” Some say this hill, with an area of two square kilometers, is the original old city of Jeddah, he said. This hill is what is known today as Al-Mathloum alley and extends to the northeast of Al-Sham alley. Abu Zinadah also said there is historical evidence proving that old Jeddah has existed for at least 2,400 years. Ahmad Bin Dawood Al-Dinouri mentioned in his book Al-Akhbar Al-Tuwal that Alexander the Great came to Makkah during the time of Al-Nidr Bin Kanan, then crossed the sea from Jeddah to Morocco. “Alexander the Great died in the fourth century B.C., which proves that Jeddah had existed at the time. “Moreover, there is proof that the Quda'a tribe during the second century B.C. resided in Jeddah, telling us that the city dates even further back to the second century B.C.” Umdah Abdulsamad Mohammad Abdulsamad said Jeddah has great significance in Islamic history. The third Islamic Caliph Uthman Bin Affan made the city the main harbor into Makkah in 647. Ibn Batoutah and Ibn Jubair have described Jeddah in their travels as a city with Persian architecture. The Muslim Persian traveler Nassir Khusro visited Jeddah in 1050 and described it as a lively city full of tall buildings and welcoming people. He estimated that the city may have had around 5,000 people. Abdulsamad said Al-Ashraf Qansuh Al-Ghawri, who ruled the city and was one of the last Mamluk Sultans of the Burji dynasty, built siege protection around Jeddah to protect it from naval invasions. “The city was then annexed to the Ottoman empire preceding the Mamluks era. Jeddah city was subjected to invasions by Dutch and Portuguese pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries. Sulaiman Pasha defended the city and protected it from the pirates.” The vice head of the Saudi Authority for Tourism and Antiquities' artifacts and museums committee Ali Al-Ghaban said there are artifacts that date back to a time before old Jeddah. These artifacts were found specifically near Naseef House and Al-Shafie Mosque. Expert and consultant on the renovation of ancient cities Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi said that old Jeddah is one of the Kingdom's top priorities. “Old Jeddah has joined UNESCO's list of world heritage sites and the Kingdom was honored for its efforts in preserving it.
