Fatima Muhammad

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — Abdul Rauf Khalil museum opened its doors for the public yesterday to celebrate the national day with a Hijazi twist.

 

The museum, which presents the heritage of the Kingdom in its different eras, also displays various Islamic valued heritages that belong to different Islamic eras and countries.



The open hall of the museum was turned Sunday to resemble the downtown Balad area some 30 years back, said Abu Haitham, a Palestinian.



The 54-year-old Abu Haitham said that the open area at the museum reminded him of his childhood when he would walk between the alleyways of downtown Jeddah to and from Al-Falah School. The school is still located in the Bab Makkah area.



The open bazaar at the museum also presented traditional products that would be present in any district of the Makkah region, such as Baleela (boiled beans flavored with spices), cold raspberry juice, water flavored with rosewater cooled in a traditional container among others.



What grabbed the attention of visitors most was the Hijazi chanting, music and dance. Men dressed in Thobes and traditional Hijazi orange turbans enthralled the audience as they danced with their sticks, and swayed with the music and beat their drums in sequence.



The décor of the museum hall looked just like the old Hijazi (Rawashin) style of decorating windows with wooden and lights.



These styles are still present in some buildings at the downtown but, "unfortunately many of buildings have collapsed or were tuned into commercial centers," said Muhammad Sabri, a Jeddah resident who was drinking his flavored water presented in a copper cup.



On the side, a number of Saudi women were displaying their products at a bazaar in the open area.



Women sold handmade products, including food, dates filled with nuts, cloths, accessories, body care products, perfumes and incense. Among these women was Lama who was selling her handmade soaps which she made of different natural herbs and oils.



Lama started to sell her soaps among her relatives and friends and also through Facebook.



This encouraged her to take it a step further. Lama is now looking for an authorization for the Saudi Food and Drug Authority to allow her to display her products in the market.



At another table, Samah Al-Haj said she and her mother work in the incense manufacture and trade.



Their customers are not only from the Kingdom but also from abroad. "My mom has been in this business for quite sometime. She makes incense by buying natural products and then she adds to them different perfumes."



Al-Haj also presents a package for women and girls who want to advance their business and promote for their products online.



"We have a website called Saudi female network and we help women who have a home business to expand online. We sell the program that teaches them how to start online trading for an amount of SR1000," explained Al-Haj who said that many Saudi women have talents but lack marketing skills especially when it comes to online marketing.