BEIT AL REFAI Dating back to 1922, Beit Al Refai was built by a well-known pearl merchant, Munawar Al Refai. The house is considered to be the archetype of Farasani architecture. The intricate work on the gypsum walls in this building is unlike any other in the Kingdom. The ceiling of the exquisite majlis is engraved with colored ornaments. Similar to Beit Al Refai is the house of Hussein Bin Yahya Al Rifai, which is also on Farasan Islands, though lacking in grandeur when compared to the former.
AL NAJDI MOSQUE Pearl merchants were one of the richest members of the society on the Farasan Islands. Like the houses they built, the mosques that were funded by them are also most noticeable. The Al Najdi mosque was constructed by Ibrahim Al Najdi, who was one of the biggest pearl merchants on the island. Surrounded by houses on all sides, the mosque sits inconspicuously in a densely packed neighborhood.
The walls of the mosque are decorated with plaster-recessed ribs and each window on the qibla wall is topped with gypsum-decorated arches. The wooden mimbar and mihrab are said to be brought from India and are adorned with colorful decorative ornaments.
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DESTINATION JEDDAH SEPTEMBER 2016