JEDDAH: A fire started in the Balad (the historic center of Jeddah) late Thursday night at the house of Khamis, one of the oldest historical houses, in front of Al-Shafie Mosque, the oldest standing building in Jeddah. The fire caused part of the building to collapse.
Capt. Abdullah Al-Amri the official spokesman of the Civil Defense in Makkah province, said eight teams responded to the blaze, which was still raging as Arab News went to press.
The neighborhood mayor, Abdul Al-Samad, was present at the site with other neighborhood leaders. He said that when the fire started they evacuated workers from inside the house. The leaders expressed concern over the damage to the old buildings in the area. Jeddah’s Balad district, replete with traditional Hejazi architecture, has been short-listed by the Saudi government to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.
