Al Balad — literally "the town" — is the historic heart of Jeddah, listed by UNESCO since 2014. For five centuries it was the merchant city: tall houses of coral stone and tropical hardwood built three to five storeys high, with intricately carved wooden roshan windows on every face. The merchants made their money provisioning Mecca pilgrims arriving by sea, and built the most elaborate domestic architecture in Arabia.
Much of the area was abandoned in the 1980s as families moved to modern villas; some has fallen into ruin. Restoration began in earnest after the UNESCO listing. Walk the lanes after sunset when the heat eases and the alleys fill with locals — start at Naseef House, work through the Souq al-Alawi, and finish at one of the new cafes opening in restored merchant houses.