L. Miller Minutes

According to Merriam & Webster, a corniche is a road built along a coast and especially along the face of a cliff. Apparently the English borrowed the word from the French term route à corniche, translating to road on a ledge, which was a step further away from the Italian word cornice, meaning ledge. From this definition, my own thinking leans into a winding, high, sea swept road on a ledge. In practice, it seems to me, a corniche is more of a waterfront promenade.

Across the Red Sea, around 141 miles directly due East of Sudan, lays the Jeddah Corniche – a roughly 18 mile stretch of waterfront along the city that was developed mainly into a pedestrian walking area directly along the water with hotels and office buildings just inland. One of the most popular areas of the Jeddah Corniche is a 2 mile portion along the North-South running Al Kurnaysh Branch Road, which begins in the south near The Island Mosque and ends up near a new mall being developed in the North (not sure of the name). Along this portion is a walking pathway lined with benches, palm trees, art installations, fountains, and different fare ranging from the commercial McDonald’s, Al Baik, and Dunkin’ Donuts, to the more local Corn in a Cup.

_{These small Sip & Snack stands offer candy, water, and other quick snacks.}

Where are the people in my photos? Crowds in Jeddah, and in Saudi Arabia proper, tend to form after the maghrib prayer when the sun begins to set. This particular day was 100 degrees and sunny, and pictures were from around mid-afternoon, so most folks (and cats) were crowded under shady trees away from the sun. That being said, there were still quite a bit of people near to The Island Mosque and generally out along the waterfront taking pictures and sightseeing.

The Jeddah Corniche remains one of my favorite places in the Jeddah/Makkah region. Despite the heat of the sun, it is usually breezy, there are amenities around if you become hungry or thirsty, and it is a melting pot of folks all enjoying the same coastal ambiance.

All photos unless otherwise labeled were taken with my Olympus OM-D E-M10 and Lumix 14mm (28mm eq.) f2.5 on Friday April 19, 2024.

Cheers.