My Pale Blue Blog: 11 Pictures of the Al Tayibat City Museum for International Civilization

One of the lesser known landmarks in Jeddah is the Al Tayibat City Museum for International Civilization. My wife and I learned about the place after more than three months of living here. We had already been to King Fahd's Fountain, Al Balad, the beaches, and even out to Ta'if before finally finding this hidden gem.

The Al Tayibat City Museum is located in the Al Faisaliah district of Jeddah - and it is immense. The area measures over 10,000 square meters, which is divided into 300 rooms in 12 different buildings. The museum has over 2,000 square meters of walls covered with pictures and other artifacts. There are 18 wings containing roughly 60,000 items of historical significance from all over the Middle East.

The city-museum was previously the palace of the late sheikh Abdul Rauf Khalil. It contains the same Hijazi architecture found all over the Al Balad district of Jeddah, however, it is only about 300 years old (much newer than Al Balad). The museum is made out of red sea coral and limestone.

Sheikh Khalil wanted to preserve the rich history of the region by creating museums in Jeddah. This museum features items Khalil collected for over a decade. It contains Islamic manuscripts, old coins, furniture, and pottery. You can also find wood and stonework showcasing the ancient architectural style and layout of Jeddah.

The museum's exhibits depict what traditional life in the region was like over the past century.

You can't take pictures inside the museum, so I only took pictures of the outside as well as some inside parts of the former palace.