JEDDAH, 29 November 2002 — For years, Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum stood in Jeddah’s Al-Andalus district as the most famous antiquities museum in Saudi Arabia.
Its Disneyland-like facade and vast content made it famous throughout the Middle East, and it was a source of pride for the city of Jeddah. However, in June this year a fire engulfed the four buildings and within hours they were reduced to ashes, along with their over 16,000 unique artifacts.
Damage was estimated at SR100 million and the owner, Sheikh Abdul Raouf Khalil, held the Saudi Electricity Company directly responsible because he said there had been a sudden surge of electrical current at the main power point in the museum, which had caused the fire.
However, the electricity company denied all responsibility. Attempts by Arab News to gain information on the outcome of an official investigation into the cause of the fire was met with a wall of silence. No official report has thus far been published.
Arab News can reveal that Sheikh Abdul Raouf Khalil is also the owner of the equally extraordinary Khan Khalil complex in the Faisaliya district of North Jeddah. Decorated with traditional rawshans like those found in the historic Al-Balad district of the city, it has defining minarets and brown-and-cream colored facades and it takes up a whole block. It also has a popular mosque.
The mesmerizing view of this building takes visitors away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle that is North Jeddah.
An investigation by Arab News has discovered that exactly the same problem Sheikh Abdul Raouf said was the cause of the fire in his now-gutted museum in Al-Andalus may also be making the Khan Khalil complex vulnerable to destruction by fire.
One of the merchants in the souq adjacent to the mosque, who did not want to give his name, told Arab News that the museum has a very high entrance fee because of electrical problems. Entry to the museum costs a staggering SR300 per group, meaning that if a visitor is on his own he must pay the full SR300.
Like the museum in Al-Andalus that is no more, electricity to the 350 exhibit rooms is controlled by only one switch.
“Either the entire museum is switched on, or it is switched off,” the antique seller explained. “Due to the high cost of entry, most visitors to the museum are children on school trips who don’t come into the local stores to buy antiques. If the electrical issue was resolved, entry into the exhibit area could be made more affordable and this would bring more foot traffic and visitors to the museum’s shops.”
When the security guard was told that this journalist wanted to look around the museum as part of the research he was doing on the whole complex of buildings, he refused to give permission for him to enter. Subsequent attempts to set up an appointment with Sheikh Abdul Raouf Khalil also failed, his security chief explaining that “he does not talk to the press”.
After having one museum destroyed by a fire blamed on the Saudi Electricity Company, and losing over 16,000 artifacts, Sheikh Abdul Raouf Khalil and his business tenants would surely benefit from a more modern electrical system at Khan Khalil.
Mohammed Abdullah, who has been an antique merchant at the local souq for 11 years, added that “most of my customers come by word of mouth or drive by to see the impressive traditional architecture. Business is not as good as it could be, but I am managing to survive.”
“Solving the museum’s internal problems and promoting it properly would benefit the neighboring shops and mosque by bringing about more visitors,” he added.
