“Despite the steamroller effect of a modern lifestyle in most parts of the city, the heritage and traditions still remain unchanged in the lanes of the old city of Balad,” Mahmoud Saeed Fakhri, a resident of the old quarter for over 60 years, told Arab News.

Fakhri noted, however, that some customs such as the Mesaharati vanished decades ago. He was referring to the practice of a man knocking at every door in the neighborhood to wake up people to have their sahoor meal before the Fajr prayer over Ramadan.

“It was the Mesaharati who made sure that no one missed his meal to start the fast at predawn hours during the whole month. However, alarm clocks and mobile phones have replaced these old public criers,” he said.

He said the Balila carts and kibda stalls, their noises and special style of serving food that emitted an exotic aroma had the potential to make anyone nostalgic for the non-existent Hijazi heritage. He hoped that authorities would set up a center to preserve the traditions of the Historic Balad, especially the traditional Ramadan practices, just as attention was currently being given to the old architecture in the heritage district.

Abdul Hameed Bukhari, who is in his 70s, said he never wanted to move from the old district where he has been living since childhood. “We look forward to Ramadan when our special customs take us back to our childhood days and remind us of our forefathers,” Bukhari said.

Sami Nawar, who heads the municipality's historic area department, said a walk in the ancient streets gave the tourist an insight into the traditions of the city, especially at night. Nawar, who is an engineer passionate about the ancient architecture and heritage,  also expressed fear that the traditions would die out soon as most residents had moved to other areas.

Ahmad Badeeb, another old-timer in the area, said visits of relatives who have moved to other parts of Jeddah bring back nostalgic memories during Ramadan.