Where ancient trade meets most marvels modern architecture and the warm golden sand makes the way to ocean welcome to Saudi Arabia!
National Geography has very recently broadcasted a beautiful travel documentary ‘Postcards from Saudi Arabia’ which is aired on JioHotstar, and I would say it is a must watch travel documentary.
I was completely indulged in the documentary with the most stunning actor and host Ridhi Dogra.This documentary would have not made so perfect if she wasn’t hosting it! Its just not the beautiful places that she has covered in this documentary but the way she has portrayed it, carried herself with her gorgeous looks, her beautiful accessories, the way she has dressed up is so classically alluring! Its was mesmerising to intrigued with her throughout the journey of SAUDI ARABIA!
‘The First’ place she has spotted is Alula, which is opened for public in 2020, 8-10 hours of journey from India via Jeddah. I got stuck in-between while I and Ridhi were reaching to this place 😉 well it’s fun to imagine! But where was I stuck? I stuck in the name, Alula: what does that mean? Alula in Arabic is “The First”(courtesy: Google) which references the first jump to gazelle.
The journey was by road, and so was easy to get along with different places. As we move ahead we reach to ‘Hegra’ 22km from the heart of the city. Not to forget we’ve had a Raavi, an Arabic story teller named Amal! She was a guide who helped us understand the history.
Hegra is a door to Saudi’s Nabataean archaeological and Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site! (courtesy: Google) This troop of civilisation was ancient and known for their mastery in trade and rock-carving skills. The travellers were stopping there for water, and the oasis had 109 tombs, 130 wells.
One of the important mentions by Amal was tomb of a massive rock of 22 meters high decorated with 4 towering plasters, named Tomb of Lihyan a Son of Kuba, an ancient Arab kingdom especially was known for impressive artistry and ingenuity, structured and carved into sandstone.
While moving ahead what I experienced is a mysterious arabic background music which makes us peculiarly stick around the surroundings. Around the mountains there is girls mountain “Jabal al Banat” in Arabic, known as “Mountain of Daughters” or “Girls Mountain” beautifully carving utterly out of respect for the daughters. 16km from Hegra, and 25 km from the city, Ridhi chose to stay in the Caravan. Brilliant!
Moving forward about 21km from staycation there was Alula old town! This place had 900 mud brick houses and 500 shops of Traditional Pottery, Hand painted Scarfs, truncates and other Souvenirs.
Alula’s first design centre is another example of the beautiful combination of an Art and Innovation. Furthermore we visited a beautiful hand crafted beauty of 52 metres high Elephant rock! In one of the centres named Dan Tantora (Arabian Sundial, a timekeeper for centuries which has more than 1700 candles), another mud house where an Arabic man welcomed and greeted us by “Hayakallah” meaning Pleasure to meet you!
We then moved to Alula Music Hub, where we met Hani and Mustafa, who were playing beautiful Guitar like instrument or was it Guitar? No, it was Oud a popular instrument in Arab and Eastern world.
Jeddah, is Saudi Arabia’s commercial capital and beloved port city. Another gateway to Makkah! meaning of JEDDAH, is a GRANDMOTHER in ARABIC!
While searching for hotel, we landed in historical Al Badad, founded in 7th century and centre of Jeddah! Al Badad meaning ‘a town’, has 650 historic buildings. Imposing tower houses were constructed in western Saudi Arabia, region of Hijaz. These houses are carved in stone and wood, tickwood from India and coral stones extracted from the Red sea. Interesting part of this city was Cats everywhere! but surprisingly there wasn’t any cat fightings! Beit Jokhdar, is a boutique hotel, with only 9 rooms, marvellous interior steeped into history of Old Jeddah.
Baeshen house, famous home of Tea trader, Saudi’s prominent trading family of 1856, which has now preserved as beautiful museum, opened to public and filled with rare photographs and manuscripts.
Interestingly this trade was sending boats to India to get back the rice, sugar and other goods for the Arabian market. We met the decadent lady of a house in cafe inside the Baeshen house. With this meeting to Baeshen house we found a beautiful connection to India, through trades and secrets ! Real fairytale.
Ah! there we go my favourite Oud fragrance, is natural resin extracted from the agar-wood tree originally found in India and Bangladesh and exported to Middle East and some parts of Assia. Reached to Saudi through Silk route and Today Saudi consumes 60% of trade all over the world.
Jeddah, second largest city of Saudi Arabia and the biggest city on the Red sea, a port and gatway to Saudi’s imports and exports. Filled with different nationalities from Yemen, Syria, Egypt!
We had a very special lunch invitation from Hadeel who runs Qunnateer who teaches Arabic and Saudi culture to visitors. We had been offered Coffee with Dates! And then Mutabbaq for lunch. Mutabaaq means ‘Folded’ in Arabic, well, for me it’s not Khallas yet until I taste this delicious dish!
Further we headed Bab Makkah! Three arches gateway, holistic place from where we enter to souk market. wait a minute is this place familiar to me? as it was resembling the Gold Souk market of Dubai, which I visited last year where Ridhi bought a bag of Dates!
Islamic arts Bianale, an art centre filled with historic artefacts, further we visited to first digital art museum of Saudi Arabia and in Middle East. Beautiful and mesmerising experience with classic soundtrack. Very artistic exposure!
Riyadh, a capital city and largest city of Saudi Arabia, 4.5 hours from Mumbai and guess what, Riyadh has 7 million of Indian population and meaning of Riyadh? Gardens, beautiful isn’t it? These gardens are located amongst the modern architecture of the steel buildings.
Al Diriyah, is UNESCO’s World Heritage Site since 2010 and regarded as Saudi’s first birthplace. This place is distinguished by Al Firaj or Najdi style triangle which looks quite similar to Warli painting on the Indian walls. Al Diriyah’s Horse Museum is preserver of elegance and power of history.
VIA Riyadh, is a luxury lifestyle destination in the heart of capital wrapped in stunning art and artefacts. In VIA Riyadh we entered in Gymkhana, where we tasted Pani Puri, that was homely feeling, isn’t it Ridhi?
After experiencing Metro we reached to Lulwa Al- Homoud is Saudi Arabia’s contemporary artist whose art has reached around every corner of the world. We explored her arts which communicates in Arabic language, Geometric shapes and the Calligraphy art. She studied sociology in Kind Saudi university.
Beautiful and Creative work reflects the spirit of modern Najdi woman! Loved it. Which has further extended to Najdi Village where we met Indian family which was living in Riyadh since 25 years, what delicious dinner we had been offered. Thank you!
For the last destinations I would suggest to watch this most intriguing travel documentary. Thank you National Geography, Cameraman and again the gorgeous Ridhi Dogra. I think this is my one of the lengthiest articles.
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