This is my last postcard from Saudi Arabia, before moving on to Egypt. I specifically went to Jeddah (and Al Wadj before it) to see and photograph the mashrabiyas in the 'old town' ('Al Balad', literally 'the town').

What is a mashrabiya (sometimes spelled mashrabiyya, or you might hear it called a takhrima, barmaqli, gannariya, shanashil or rowshin!)? It's an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world and beyond. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework, located on the upper floors of a building.

It was traditionally used to catch wind and for passive cooling. Jars and basins of water could be placed in it to cause evaporative cooling. The earliest evidence of the mashrabiya, in its current form, dates from the 12th century. Apart from their cooling function, one of the major purposes of the mashrabiya is privacy, an essential aspect of Arab and Muslim culture. From the mashrabiya window, occupants can obtain a good view of the street without being seen.

The mashrabiya has been used since the Middle Ages, reached a peak during the Ottoman period, but fell into decline in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. However, more recent interest in sustainable architecture has contributed to a revival of the mashrabiya.

The mashrabiyas in Al Wadj were in a dilapidated section of the 'old town', but at least that gave me the opportunity to go inside an abandoned building and inspect a mashrabiya close-up from the inside.

Jeddah, on the other hand, has some quite new mashrabiyas, as well as many older and dilapidated ones. The accompanying photo shows a row of fabric shops with accommodation above them. They display both old and new mashrabiyas, some new ones having air-conditioners fitted, perhaps attesting to the lack of effectiveness of the evaporative cooling of old!

Daniel Ford