Jeddah’s centre features architectural civilisation rooms, famous museums preserving its memory, and scientific museums showcasing the cognitive capacities of Muslims and Arabs. Moreover, this historical and scientific evidence captures the city’s ancient past and development phases, offering a unique perspective on the city’s experiences.
This article will take you on a tour of Jeddah’s most renowned museums.
Jeddah’s Most Famous Museums
Beit Nassif Museum
One of the most significant monuments to historical sites is the Beit Nassif Museum, which is located in the heart of Jeddah. When King Abdulaziz visited Jeddah, this palace, which Sheikh Omar Effendi Nassif built in 1872, the city’s administrator at the time, became a well-known landmark.
Besides, Beit Nassif stands out for its distinctive architecture, which combines Ottoman and Hijazi design elements. It has more than forty evenly spaced rooms spread across five floors. It was built using wood imported from Indonesia and India and local Kashur stone.
In addition to rare coins and a sizeable library with around 16,000 books, the museum now features a rich collection of historical and artistic artefacts, including ancient ships, maps, stone inscriptions, and handicrafts. It organises exhibitions and cultural events all year round in addition to showcasing its collections.
Location: Jeddah Al-Balad
Operating Hours: Daily, 8 AM—12 AM
Entrance Fee: 10 Saudi Riyals
Matbouli House Museum
Within the Yemen Quarter’s Al-Alawi Market, in the centre of historic Jeddah, sits the Matbouli House Museum. Constructed more than 400 years ago by Sheikh Mahmoud Matbouli, it is one of the oldest homes in the area. One of the most well-known heritage museums in ancient Jeddah today is this one.
Further, the museum’s classic Hijazi design, with its elaborate ceilings and carved wooden balconies, will be your first impression. Although centuries have passed since it was first constructed as the residence of a prominent Hijazi family, it nevertheless has an old-world charm.
The family used to welcome pilgrims at their home for a whole month at their expense because they were employed by the Hajj Agency at the time. To preserve the family’s and the area’s history, the house was renovated and turned into a museum years later.
The four-storey Matbouli House features two distinct entrances. It also has seating spots for males, family elders, and children, as well as cisterns for collecting rainwater. Its lofty ceilings and elaborate woodwork serve to cool the inside while reflecting the splendour of historic Hijazi architecture.
Location: Qasmani Alley, Old Town
Time: Daily from 5 PM to 10 PM
Admission: 10 SAR
Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
According to Jabir ibn Hayyan, al-Razi, and al-Jazari, the Museum of Science and Technology in Islam at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a tribute to the accomplishments of Muslims throughout the Golden Age. This spanned the 7th through the 17th centuries CE.
The idea behind its founding came from King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who envisioned it as a global hub for knowledge and scientific research and as an extension of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.
Likewise, exhibits in the museum detail Muslim contributions to the development of human civilisation in the fields of chemistry, medicine, astronomy, engineering, and mechanics.
Location: Thuwal Centre
Opening Hours: Sunday – Tuesday, 9 AM – 4 PM
Museum of Home Art
One of Jeddah’s heritage museums, it features a unique assortment of traditional handicrafts, apparel, and furniture that capture the spirit of ancient Jeddah. Bedchambers and Andalusian salons are among its displays.
Location: Al-Ruwais District, end of Palestine Street
Opening Hours: Saturday to Thursday, 8 AM—12 PM and 5 PM—9 PM (closed on Fridays)
Admission: 80 riyals for individuals, 40 riyals for students
Darat Al-Funun Al-Islamiyyah Museum
It is the Kingdom’s first museum dedicated to Islamic art and sits in Jeddah Park. It houses more than 1,000 artefacts from 15 centuries of Islamic civilisation, spanning from Andalusia to China. The Al-Madared Charitable Foundation is behind the initiative.
It has six pavilions that reveal the evolution of coins, glass, ceramics, Quranic manuscripts, calligraphy, and ancient fabrics like the Kiswa (the Kaaba’s covering). It also has a library with rare English and Arabic books.
Location: Jeddah Park.
Opening Hours: Daily, 10 AM—10 PM; Friday, 5 PM—11 PM.
Admission: Free.
Educational Heritage Museum
With an emphasis on antiquated teaching techniques such as books, implements, and curriculum utilised in Jeddah’s early schools, the Educational Heritage Museum is a venue that highlights the history of education in the Kingdom.
Rare periodicals and magazines, vintage school supplies gathered from early school classrooms, and artefacts tracing the origins of the Kingdom’s educational system are all on display at the museum.
Location: Abraq Al-Raghama District – Ahmed Bin Ajlan Street
Time: Sunday, Friday, and Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Admission: Free
Bait Al Balad Museum
Situated in the ancient Al Balad neighbourhood, encircled by mosques, schools, and old homes that reflect the city’s rich cultural history, this museum is one of Jeddah’s oldest, having been there for more than 170 years. A unique way to learn about Jeddah’s past and culture is to visit the museum.
Location: Old Balad District
Time: Saturday to Thursday: 8 AM – 12 PM / 5 PM – 9 PM
Friday: 8 AM – 12 PM / 5 PM – 9 PM
Admission: Free
Open Museum – Jeddah Sculpture Museum
As the first outdoor museum in the city, the Jeddah Sculpture Museum is a destination for art lovers and is home to one of the world’s greatest collections of statues and sculptures. Covering 7 square kilometres, the museum showcases 21 pieces of art that are dispersed over the recently constructed Jeddah Corniche, creating a space that blends art and nature.
Location: The northern part of the central Corniche, between Al Anani Mosque and Al Salam Palace.
Time: Daily from 8 AM to 12 PM and from 5 PM to 12 AM
Admission: Free
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Al-Tayebat Museum
After forty-five years of collecting artefacts, Abdul Raouf Khalil built the Al-Tayebat International City for Science and Knowledge, which includes one of Jeddah’s most prestigious museums. With more than 300 rooms spread across 12 buildings, the 5,000-square-metre museum was opened in 1996. It includes the House of Saudi, Islamic, and International Heritage, as well as a general heritage exhibition with artefacts from many civilisations.
It has an Islamic design with hardwood doors and rawashin (windows). In addition, it has 19 fountains and animal and archaic machine models. International celebrities, including Princess Diana and Prince Charles, have been to the museum.
Location: Al-Faisaliah District, Jeddah
Time: Saturday to Thursday, 8 AM – 12 PM and 5 PM – 9 PM (closed Friday)
Admission: 30 Saudi Riyals
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Safeya Binzagr Foundation Museum
Safeya’s creative output is documented at the Safeya Binzagr Foundation Museum. It’s the Kingdom’s first fine arts museum and one of Jeddah’s most reputable art museums. Paintings and various handicrafts are on display in nine exhibition halls. With its Mada’in Saleh-inspired exterior, the building has a unique archaeological feel.
Artist Safeya Binzagr’s vision, which blended the authenticity of the past with the beauty of the contemporary, is reflected in the museum’s exhibits of artworks inspired by historic Saudi and Arab heritage.
Location: King Abdullah Road, Jeddah
Time: Saturday only, 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Admission: Free
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Darwish Salamah Museum
In the Al-Hamra neighbourhood of Jeddah, retired pilot Colonel Darwish Salamah converted his house into a heritage museum that now holds over 1,000 intricately built concrete and iron models of homes, mosques, and Saudi and foreign sites.
He began his hobby 58 years ago after suffering injuries in a plane crash in the Gulf, which led him to look for a new love where he could express himself creatively.
In addition to the aircraft models he trained on during his military duty, making a list of the 48 mosques that fell apart as Medina grew is one of his most notable endeavours. One of the museums in Jeddah that depicts a portion of its creative and cultural past, the museum currently holds over 1,000 handcrafted items. Location: Jeddah’s Al Hamra District
Time: Daily, 4:30 PM to 6 PM
Admission: 30 SAR
To put it briefly, touring Jeddah’s former museums gives tourists a cultural and educational overview of the city’s history and character. It also takes them on a historical journey of its growth, making it an experience they won’t soon forget.
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