Jeddah!..Jewel of the Red Sea Coast

Jeddah is located on the Red Sea on the west coast. It is a very cosmopolitan city. Its multicultural, salad bowl mix of people is result of two things: being a key sea port and being so close to Mecca. Mecca is the holiest city for Muslims. Millions of Muslims from throughout the world (Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, etc.) travel here yearly to perform the rituals. Over hundreds of years, these pilgrims have diffused their cultures by visiting and even choosing to live here. Consequently, it has a more liberal culture. It is especially known for its architecture and artistic sculptures that are seen everywhere!

Women in Jeddah

Today was one of the most insightful days regarding women--particularly in education and the workforce. We started our day by visiting Effet college, a private school for girls. (All schools are separated by gender.) At this school, we heard about how this college of students focuses on preparing women in fields where they are underrepresented. For example, we met a young lady who will be the first ever to graduate in kingdom in architecture. Most of her professors (mostly women) have been educated abroad and are well respected in their disciplines. Effet also has a psychology program, which is extremely rare, if not non-existant. It turns out that addressing mental health is a relatively new phenomenon in Saudi Arabia. I spoke with one young lady who was a finalist in a nation-wide contest titled "I Matter." In her essay, she explained how she plans on using her clinical psychology degree to help empower other women and undo the stigma that exists regarding mental health. Besides the career component, the college also has a strong commitment to holistic ed, meaning focus on the whole individual. Students organize fund raisers, which they then use the funds to support Cancer research and AIDS programs. Although Americans are quite aware of these illnesses, they are far less known about in the Kingdom. Thus, the work of these young women is truely inspiring. (Many in our group were moved nearly to tears by their stories. TAKE THAT US MEDIA!!!) Additionally, the young women do community outreach, like teaching underpriviledged Saudi women how to use computers and other skills. It made me think a lot about how some schools in the US have similar aims.

The Beverly Hills of Jeddah

We visited a house today in a wealthy neighborhood today that reminded me of Beverly Hills. However, the particular home (or small palace) we visited, was an oasis of Islamic culture preservation. The residents of the house, an architecht and an interior designer, built their house, inside and out, as a way to combat an increase in "Europeanization" of other homes in the area. The palace (I just can't call it a house) was the most magnificent home I've ever seen. The pictures below don't do it justice. It had 4-5 floors, an indoor swimming pool, an indoor garden, a massive rooftop patio, and exquisite Islamic inspired art and furnishings. (Plus a handfull of servants from Ethiopia and other countries.) I will let the pictures do the talking for me:







(This is the pool..cool bottom!)