Texture and Light

I was privileged to go on a tour of Dr. Sami Angawi’s home a couple of weeks ago. Dr. Angawi is an expert on and an activist in the preservation of Islamic architecture in Saudi Arabia. You can find more about him here and Amar International here . He is a forward thinking and somewhat controversial figure in the kingdom so I will let you Google your own research.


His home combines the old with the new in a seamless and comfortable manner. The open style of the house echoes the multi-layered tradition of old construction, with a pool in the atrium and a garden on the rooftop. I was so taken with the details and texture of the house that I completely forgot to take photos of the exterior.


Many of the ornamental details where salvaged from old homes that were being torn down. The house is an all-new construction in the north of Jeddah. The roof top views are included to give a better understanding of the beauty of the enclosed space as a refuge from a modern urban environment.

More photos here: Photo Essay of Sami Angawi’s home.