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The people of Jeddah built their homes from purified stone, which was extracted from Al-Arba'een Lake and then they would modify it using manual tools to put it in its appropriate place according to size. This was in addition to the timber, which was imported from neighboring areas, such as Wadi Fatima or from abroad (especially from India) through their seaport. They also used mud from the mud inflow, which was used to glue parts together. In short, the method of building was to arrange the building stones over each other, separated by pieces of wood (Takaleel), which helped in the fair distribution of the loads on the walls. This old method of building, which uses wood and stone, is very similar to the modern concrete and timber way of building where wood is used to hold concrete in order to alleviate the weight of the building.
Among the most famous and oldest existing buildings so far: the house of Naseef and the house of Jamjoum in Haret (Neighborhood) Al-Yemen; the houses of Ba'ashin and Gabel as well as Al-Shafe'e Mosque in Haret Al-Madhloum; and the houses of Banajah and Al-Zahid in Haret Al-Shaam. The height of some of these buildings was more than 30 meters, some of which remain strong and in good condition after decades due to the method of construction.
These houses were characterized by the existence of 'Malaagif' in all the rooms in the house. 'Al-rawasheen' (wooden windows) were used in large sizes and a high volume of timber was used decoratively on the walls, which helped move the air and spread it around the house as well as casting shade on the walls of the house to alleviate the heat. Moreover, the houses were built next to each other and had curved fronts to cast shade on each other.
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