A port city that played a great role in History
Yanbu Al-Bahr, usually simply referred to as Yanbu, is a coastal town on the Red Sea, 300 kilometers north of the city of Jeddah and 140 km to the west of Madinah Al-Munawarah. Yanbu has benefited for millennia not only because of its location along the ancient maritime routes and as the natural port of the ancient oasis of Madinah but also from underground water available close to the surface. The beautiful style of old town Yanbu, which is being restored, testifies to the long human presence here.
Yanbu was a strategic location until recently as it served as a supply and operational base for Arab and British forces fighting the Ottoman Empire during World War I and saw the famous British army officer Thomas Edward Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, living in the old town in 1915 and 1916.
House of T.E Lawrence (photo: Florent Egal)
Yanbu remained a small port town until 1975 when the Saudi government designated it as one of the country's two new industrial centers (the other being Al Jubayl on the Arabian Gulf). Since then, Yanbu Industrial City (Yanbu Al-Sina'iya) was created and large industrial petrochemical facilities were built along the shore.
A city with multiple faces
The Old Yanbu
If Jeddah is famous for its old town called Al-Balad it is not the only city in Saudi Arabia to host such a brilliant example of the unique Hejazi architecture style that is found along the Arabian coast of the Red Sea.
The old city of Yanbu, where restoration started in 2020, is another place where traditional Arabian houses that are made of coral stones and that feature rawashin (singular "roshan") - projecting latticed windows adorned with intricate wood works - can be admired.
Old Yanbu traditional house with Rawashin (photo: Florent Egal)
In old Yanbu visitors will find the same shaded narrow streets as in Jeddah and also an open square with an old mosque made of coral stones. The old market of the Old Yanbu is an indoor gallery that offers to visitors the authentic ambiance of the oriental souq while being protected from the sun.
Old mosque of Yanbu (photo: Florent Egal)
Old Souq of Yanbu (photo: Florent Egal)
On the sea side is a large esplanade where visitors can taste the delicious local specialties of sea food with fresh fish cooked and served with spiced rice.
Terrace with fish restaurants at the Old Yanbu (photo: Florent Egal)
The Old Yanbu has another secret: the house where Thomas E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, lived between 1915 and 1916 when he supported the Great Arab Revolt. Old residents of Yanbu say the house has not been occupied since the departure of the famous British guest. Nobody dared to live in it even for one night because of rumors that evil spirits haunt the house.
Yanbu corniche
The city of Yanbu is split into two parts that are 20 kilometers away from each other. The northern part of the city hosts the old town and the southern one the industrial city. Modern resorts are found in the south, as well as the corniche were people can enjoy the view over the turquoise waters of the Red Sea and the green mangrove bushes grow along the shore.
It is also from there that people can enjoy a boat ride to some beautiful sand banks and coral reef islands that are paradise for beach lovers and scuba divers. It is important to notice that as per local custom it is not allowed to wear western style swimsuits on public beaches.
Yanbu Corniche (photo: Florent Egal)
Further south along the coast are the impressive facilities of the Yanbu Industrial City (Yanbu Al-Sina'iya) that are visible from the road but can't be visited.
How to visit Yanbu
The location of the city of Yanbu is available on Google Maps.
Yanbu is two and half hours from Madinah Al-Munawarah by road and has its own domestic airport, making it easily accessible from Riyadh.
Esplanade of the Old Yanbu (photo: Florent Egal)
