“As the reckless bulldozers are bent on wiping out every trace of architectural heritage in the Hejaz region, it is imperative to take immediate steps to preserve whatever remains of Jeddah’s historical district before it becomes only a memory,” said columnist Muhammad Sadeq Diyab, expressing his concern about the future of the city’s historic and architectural heritage.
Real estate developers and construction contractors, whom the writer described as “farmers of Satanic trees,” are striving to convert the area into a jungle of concrete towers, he said.
Architect Sami Angawi blames not only occasional fires but many other factors, such as administrative negligence and technical flaws in the schemes implemented for the preservation of the ancient buildings, as the causes of the gradual disappearance of the old city’s historic landmarks.
“Often the callous manner in which firefighters treat the old buildings when they extinguish occasional fires does greater damage to the old buildings than the actual fire,” Angawi noted.
He stressed the paramount significance of saving these old buildings by systematic planning, which can be done only if the department that undertakes the job is independent in every respect.
He also urged the authorities to make a detailed survey of the buildings, including minute details of their interiors and exteriors. He also expressed his willingness to cooperate in the survey.
Overcome by sentiment when speaking about the old city, Angawi lamented that with the disappearance of those ancient buildings, they would exist only in memory and be seen only in the imaginations of the nostalgic. Even the Banaja House in which King Abdul Aziz once stayed has been destroyed.
The National Antiquities Regulation in place since 1980 guaranteed state protection to buildings classified as historically valuable. The regulation has apparently failed to protect the historic buildings in Jeddah. Out of 557 historically important buildings, now only 312 remain and many are likely to disappear if the current neglect continues.
Adnan Adas, director of urban rehabilitation and development of the historic area, warned that the absence of strict regulations to check the owners who negligently repair ancient buildings was disastrous. He urged banks and other financing establishments to provide loans so that the building owners undertake the renovation of old buildings in a professional manner.
Considering the idea of the state taking on the ownership of the listed buildings as an impractical proposition, Adas suggested a better option with the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities taking the responsibility of renovating the buildings.
Sami Nawwar, a former official responsible for the preservation of the historic city, believes that it was wrong to decide that 200 ancient buildings classified as historically important should be razed.
“I am a extremist when it comes to antiquities. I prefer extreme steps to counter any tendency to play down the importance of the development and rehabilitation of historic areas,” he said.
The historic city has two major distinctive features just as every old city has its own identifying features. In the case of Jeddah, the features are coral block buildings and skylights with intricate wood works, he said.
