The antique wooden doors scattered in the alleys and lanes of historic Jeddah embody the features of authentic Hijazi architecture, as both functional and decorative elements that have retained their aesthetics over hundreds of years, becoming a symbol of urban identity that qualified the region for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
These antique wooden doors are made of teak and walnut wood imported from India and East Africa, known for their durability and ability to withstand the elements. <These doors are made of teak and walnut wood imported from India and East Africa, known for its durability and resistance to the elements, then reinforced with large iron nails and decorated with arabesque motifs and delicate geometric and botanical patterns that reveal the creativity of local craftsmen in Jeddah who have developed this craft from generation to generation.
Wooden doors are made of teak and walnut wood imported from India and East Africa, known for their durability and ability to withstand climate change. Wooden doors carry multiple architectural functions, most notably protecting homes from the summer heat, providing ventilation through finely decorated openings, as well as being an aesthetic facade, and some doors include double layers; a large outer layer for visitors, and a small one known as the “door peach”, which facilitates entry and exit without the need to open the main door.
Wooden doors have multiple architectural functions, most notably to achieve protection from the summer heat, and to provide ventilation through finely decorated openings, in addition to being an aesthetic facade, and some doors have double layers.
As part of the efforts to preserve historic Jeddah as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, dozens of historic wooden doors have been carefully restored by specialized craftsmen, using the same original wood, while documenting and preserving the inscriptions and decorations, to remain a witness to the stages of development of Hijazi society and its methods of coexistence with the environment.
Dozens of historic wooden doors have undergone careful restoration operations at the hands of specialized craftsmen. Wooden doors in historic Jeddah remain silent witnesses to the fragrant past, carrying among their inscriptions tales of trade and sea voyages, and emphasizing that architecture is not only walls, but a living memory that preserves the identity of the place and the spirit of its people.
