Conservative women who visit Jeddah swim wearing their Hijab and all, but still manage to enjoy what this lovely seaside city has to offer.
Diana Rayan, a Palestinian blogger and photographer living in Saudi Arabia contacted us with images of Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea which is said to be less conservative than other parts of the country. One of the photographs was selected by Cambridge University to feature as the May photograph in their 2010 calendar.
Combined with the image of two people involved in intimate conversation, this small, Saudi-style travelogue depicts a tranquil scene complete with spirit-lifting sculpture and warm lighting. Ms. Rayan tells a lovely story about the meaning of the name Jeddah and how the people there enjoy the seaside city, Hijab and all.
Saudi Arabia is an Islamic conservative country. One of the traditions in this country is to wear Hijab which is called (Abaya); it’s a black dress that every woman must wear when ever she wants to leave her house for any reason and it covers all her body and her hair as well.
One of the cities in Saudi Arabia is called Jeddah (Bride of Red Sea) which is less conservative than others cities due to different people who are living there; different races, cultures, religions, nationalities & others.
One of the famous places to visit is the Red Sea that is full of different sculptures, people having their picnic, small booths where you can buy ice-cream, grilled corn, water & juices & others. You can find people playing on their bicycles and skating all over the Kornich road. Some are sitting down with the family beside their cars to listen to music and having Shisha.
Some people BBQ and others enjoy fishing. There are open areas where the public can swim, but because it’s mixed and open to everyone, conservative women can’t take off their Abaya. So they swim wearing their clothes and Abaya. There is a large fountain which is very nice and people go to the beach and sit in front of it.
To learn more about Diana Rayan or to see more images, please visit her blog.
More travel and nature news from Saudi Arabia:
Killer Baboons Running Loose In Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia to Build Musma Park – The Mideast’s Largest
Protective Fence Causes Mass Starvation of Saudi Wildlife
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
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