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JEDDAH: One of the oldest buildings in Jeddah's historic Al-Balad district, the 19th-century Sharbatly House has been transformed into a center for cultural, literary, artistic, scientific and intellectual events.

The renovations were carried out by Abdullah Sharbatly's grandson, businessman Seifalah Sharbatly. He wanted to modernise the building while preserving its character, foundation and interior design, as well as the original brick walls. The new materials, exported from countries such as Sweden and Egypt, meet strict conservation standards.

Sharbatly told Arab News that each tile in the historic building was a link to its heritage. “On the back of the tile it says 'Made in Hejjaz,'” he said. The search for antique tiles of the same shape took a long time, he added.

He put his heart and soul into every detail of the project, with the aim of not only restoring the building, but revitalizing it and transforming it into a cultural center.

“The idea of ​​creating a cultural house was born out of my passion for art, culture and poetry and my desire to preserve the historic building left by our grandfather,” he said. “The idea came about in 2013 when I visited our house, which was abandoned and partially in danger of collapsing, including the ceilings, and covered with dust.”

Shortly thereafter, he approached his father and advocated for extensive renovations to bring the property into the 21st century, and his father agreed.

The work took a long time, says Sharbatly: “I thought it would take me about three years to renovate, but in the end it took me seven years.”

The restoration took place before Al-Balad was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The idea of ​​creating a cultural center came from my passion for art, culture and poetry, as well as my commitment to preserving our grandfather's historic building.

Seifalah SharbatlySaudi businessman

“We were ahead of the regional heritage preservation program,” Sharbatly added.

The four-storey building in Al-Bayaa Square was built by Al-Sharif Abdulilah Mihanna Al-Abdaly in the late 19th century. It was later sold to Abdullah Sharbatly and became the family residence.

It once served as the headquarters of the Egyptian mission in Saudi Arabia and for about 30 years was an important port of call for Egyptian traders and entrepreneurs doing business in the kingdom after arriving through the seaports of Jeddah.

“After restoring the house to the best of my ability, I didn't want it to look like other historic houses in the area, most of which have become museums,” Sharbatly said. “So I seriously thought about making it different by giving it attention and bringing in ideas that would give it back the luster it had almost lost over the years.”

Sharbatly said he wanted to use the house to promote Saudi cultural identity.

“Our vision for the Cultural Centre is that it will be a home for all artists – from professionals to amateurs, from established to emerging artists, and from traditional to contemporary,” he said.

Many historic houses in the area stood abandoned until the Ministry of Culture led the project to revitalize Al-Balad and transform its heritage into tourist attractions.

Commenting on these efforts, Sharbatly said: “The ministry’s initiative aims not only to create a tourist destination but also to bring our generation and their children back to the place that was once the beating heart of Jeddah.

“It was a great initiative to revitalize the neighborhood and restore it to its glory days and restore its charm and importance as a cultural destination.”

When the Ministry of Culture took control of the area, Sharbatly sat down with officials to present his vision and long-term plan.

Then he pushed forward a new, more ambitious project: “The house has become one of the most popular cultural venues,” he added.

The Sharbatly House project has played a crucial role in promoting the Kingdom's cultural heritage to both local and international visitors. To continue pursuing his passion for promoting culture, the PhD student at the American University in Cairo hopes to realize his dream by creating a massive cultural space in Al-Balad.

“I hope to one day make my house as big as the El-Sawy Culture Wheel, which is considered one of the most important cultural sites in Egypt,” said Sharbatly.

He also announced a new mission: “I am currently negotiating with the Saudi authorities to save my other grandfather’s house, which is located in the Al-Ruwais area.

“Unfortunately, the house is scheduled to be demolished along with the other buildings. I am trying to convince them not to demolish it because it is a historic and valuable house that could be preserved and promoted.”