The Al Tayibat City Museum for International Civilization is without doubt the most exquisite building I have seen in Saudi Arabia, and we found it quite by chance when Tim asked the driver what something was he had caught out of the corner of his eye. In fact I had read something about the museum, but since it only allowed groups of eight or 10 in, hadn’t thought it was worth checking out. Was I ever wrong. We of course weren’t able to enter, but just looking at the exterior was a treat in itself.

I found an excellent description of it thanks to this site http://www.thesignaturehotels.com/en/al-tayebat-international-city-museum-in-jeddah -- I couldn’t drag myself away from the museum, even though the driver wanted to get on the road for Makkah, it was just that stunning and as a result it will have to have a sub-gallery all to itself.

“The Al Tayebat museum is truly a city. It is more than 10,000 square metres divided in 300 rooms in 12 buildings showcasing different cultures. So on the day the perfect blue sky is too blue for you; enter the mysterious and immense museum in the Al Faisaliah district.

“The museum was the palace of the late sheikh Abdul Rauf Khalil, a merchant dedicated to his country who wanted to preserve the rich history of the region by scattering museums around Jeddah. The palace has a simple and beautiful Hijazi architecture. It was made out of red sea coral block and limestone. The building is 300 years old which makes it newer than the Al Balad district typical houses. Don’t be fooled by its age though, the museum contains state-of-the-art installations, scientific libraries and specialized equipment.

“The museum displays exhibits featuring items collected during over a decade by Khalil himself. It gathers from exquisite Islamic manuscripts and old coins to stunning furniture and pottery (some of it bought from international art houses). You can also find wood, gypsum and stonework showcasing the ancient architectural style and the layout of the city. It reflects human activity of the old Jeddah city.

“The best rooms are showcasing life as it was in the past century and more from every region of Saudi Arabia. You will find the humble abode of a fisherman from Jeddah as well as the vibrant room of a bride to be from Abha with exquisite attention to details. You will feel the atmosphere of such scenes for the décor is so perfect. Thanks to this exhibition, you will have a precious insight on the traditional life in the country over a century.

“It would take you two days to visit the entire place by yourself. We advise you get a guide if you don’t have that amount of time to spend inside so you can see the best it has to offer. The museum displays a huge amount of information with over 2000 square meters of wall covered with pictures, explanations and monuments. 18 wings full of 60000 items of historical significance from all over the Middle East are displayed for the visitor’s pleasure. You should take it as several smaller museums with a notable advantage. The organized flow of display and exhibit throughout the museum enable you to take in everything and not be overwhelmed by the quantity of information.”