Somali women in Old Jeddah

Somali woamen in Old Jeddah, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Like the charming area around Sultanahmet in Istanbul, the Old City in Jeddah has been largely abandoned by its original inhabitants who have moved into modern apartments, with more space and better sanitation.

The area is now home to many poor Somalis who have come to Saudi Arabia, fleeing the civil war and never-rnding violence in their own country..

They women mostly dress in black, but the stall sellers tend to wear more colourful clothes.

We spoke to quite a few Somalis (mostly the young men) and they tended to come either from Baidoa or Mogadishu. We did not meet anyone from Somaliland, where I was born and they took a bit of convincing when I told them that I am also a Somali, with my white skin!

P.S. It turns out that this woman is probably from Nigeria!