Jeannette Farrell from the United Kingdom had the opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia on four occasions. It should have been five visits, but the first Gulf War intervened and the trip was canceled. Therefore, Jeannette’s eagerly awaited first visit to the Kingdom did not materialize until January 1994. Her final visit was in September 1997. The main purpose of the trips was for Jeanette and her husband to visit and spend some time with their son, daughter in-law and little grandson.
“My first trip to the Kingdom in January 1994 lasted for one month,” recalled Jeanette. “After queuing for what seemed to be an eternity in immigration at King Abdul Aziz Airport, I made my way to the baggage hall. With a combination of amusement and frustration, I remember trying to outrun the porters who insisted that they tend to my baggage. It was 6 a.m. and I was engulfed by the early morning heat as well as a large number of persistent offers for a taxi service. After being collected at the airport, I was driven along Madinah road into Jeddah. In the welcome comfort of the car’s air-conditioning, I noticed a golden blanket of sunlight softly illuminating the mammoth infrastructure of the city. I could see the arterial road system emitting heat haze and endless lines of large commercial buildings, shopping malls and large villas. I was particularly awed to see grass verges and large pockets of healthy-looking green palms and other trees in various locations. I had not expected to see so much greenery. My month-long visit as well as the subsequent ones to the Kingdom were very enjoyable and enlightening. Apart from the standard of driving and constant car horn blowing, I found it a relaxing and tranquil place to be.”
It did not take long before Jeanette realized that Jeddah was a diverse and cosmopolitan city and that it had a great deal to offer the tourist. One sight in particular which still remains firmly imprinted on her mind is the exquisite stained-glass mosque lanterns hanging on Al-Andulas Street near the Saudia City Compound. “When they were illuminated in the evenings, they were truly awe-inspiring. I can remember travelling along the Corniche road one early morning and taking in the panoramic serenity and splendor of both the sea and its shoreline. The Red Sea was as still as a millpond and the whole shoreline was empty of people and cars. I felt as if I was far removed from the rest of the world,” remarked Jeanette. A visit to Jeddah’s gold souk rendered her speechless. Although she was given a description beforehand, she still remained overwhelmed by the sight of all the richly colored gold glittering in front of her. She had never seen anything like it. Amazingly, the first gold shop which she happened to visit turned out to be owned by a Saudi who had spent some time in Liverpool, England, where she was born, so they reminisced and talked fondly about the city.
Jeanette also visited old Balad at the rear of the gold souk. She recalled walking along the hot, narrow and dusty streets that were strewn with spice and clothes’ merchants with “asharah asharah” (ten, ten) ringing in her ears. She viewed the old buildings that the Jeddah Preservation Society had painstakingly preserved. She found it fascinating as well as surreal to view the old Islamic architecture and at the turn of a head, compare it with the contemporary Islamic skyline that was quickly trespassing into the old quarter. Nasseef House, where King Abdul Aziz once lived, was impressive in terms of its architecture and historical background. She can still picture the solitary tree standing in front of the house, along with a tethered camel. “A very Arabian Nights feel permeated the whole area,” Jeanette said. “I also visited the Afghan carpet souk in Jeddah on many occasions and I met the famous carpet dealer Roza Muhammad and his Afghan assistants. It was during one of my visits to the carpet souk that I discovered my interest in a particular type of carpet and at the same time developed a taste for green tea and freshly baked Afghan bread. My carpet of choice was an Iranian Bakhtiari. I now have three. One was a gift and the other two were acquisitions from Jeddah.”
All three of Jeanette’s carpets have cotton warps and wefts. The three carpets collectively average 130 Turkish (symmetrical) knots per square inch and all display the abstract paneled garden which is a very popular carpet design with the Bakhtiari weavers. Iranian weavers from the city of Qum also use a similar paneled garden design. The Bakhtiaris are located in an area west of central Iran and their carpets can be found in the bazaars of Esfahan. The original Bakhtiari carpet production was mainly of nomadic and tribal origin. These older carpets can still be discovered in carpet shops across Saudi Arabia. However, there are good-quality commercial examples of their work to be found that were woven by non-Bakhtiari weavers, although these carpets should not be confused with the genuine nomadic/tribal Bakhtiari examples that collectors seek. Jeanette’s first Bakhtiari carpet was a gift. It measures 3 ft. x 5 ft. displaying thick lustrous wool, rich colors and the curved paneled garden design which includes cypress trees and large pink flower heads. This particular carpet takes pride of place in Jeannette’s home in front of the fireplace.
The second carpet, which measures 6 ft. 11 in. x 4 ft. 9 in., is truly remarkable. The main field pattern of the carpet consists of 28 square panels. Each panel has an individual abstract garden detail, such as the cypress tree, boteh, pomegranate, and side-view lotus flower heads which are all vibrantly colored in natural and synthetic hues of blues, greens, salmons, reds, ivory, mushroom, saffron yellows, and browns. Two panels, however, display goose-like images. The main border has a natural ivory wool background with colorful abstract palmettes and angular vines (Herati design).
The third carpet is a runner that measures 3 ft. 6 in. x 10 ft. The fact that it is a runner makes it extremely rare and desirable. The Bakhtiari weavers hardly ever produced runners, weaving only the usual rectangular room-sized carpets. The runner displays 33 square panels. What makes this particular runner even more interesting and exciting is that it has two woven Farsi signatures. The inscriptions read Sultan on the top right side of the runner and Seema on the top left side of the runner. Sultan, who may have been a local Khan (leader), probably commissioned the runner for himself and his wife.
Jeanette said her four visits to the Kingdom educated her about the country and its people. At home in the UK she is able to explain to her friends that the Saudi Arabia she visited was a welcoming, safe and progressing country. Obviously, it was very different for her and what she was used to as a Westerner. However, she emphatically insists that she never felt under threat and that she was never made to feel different. “I was always made welcome by the Saudis,” she says. “I feel fortunate to have visited. I have fond memories of Saudi Arabia and Jeddah in particular and would like to go back to visit one day.”
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- Arab News Features 21 August 2003.
