Nassif House Museum, Historical museum in Al-Balad district, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Nassif House Museum is a late 19th-century residence with multiple floors connected by wide staircases designed wide enough to accommodate loaded camels. The rooms display how the family lived and preserve the architectural details characteristic of the period.
Omar Nassif Efendi, a wealthy merchant and governor of Jeddah, constructed this residence between 1872 and 1881. The building later served King Abdulaziz before being preserved as a museum for public access.
The building displays traditional woodwork, decorative tiles, and Arabic calligraphy that reflect the artistic traditions of the Red Sea region. These elements appear throughout the rooms, showing how craftsmanship was valued in this merchant family's home.
Visitors can explore the house on guided tours that show multiple floors with original rooms and architectural features on display. It helps to allow time for climbing stairs and viewing the different areas throughout the building.
The building is locally called 'The House with the Tree' after a neem tree that stands as one of the oldest recorded trees in Jeddah. The tree still grows in the courtyard and is a notable detail many visitors overlook.
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