The History of the Hajj as Heritage: Asset or Burden to the Saudi State?

This chapter investigates the way in which the hajj is being made a central argument in the promotion of the old city of Jeddah as world heritage. The official submission to the UNESCO occurred under the heading of `Historic-Jeddah the Gate to Makkah'. This refers to the historical (and ongoing) role of Jeddah as the major port - and nowadays airport, through which pilgrims travel to the holy city during the pilgrimage. Besides characterizing the heritage of Jeddah and attracting tourists by referring to the religious heritage (of which very little is visible in the built environment of Jeddah), this designation also highlights the role of the `Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques', as the Saudi king is known. While the revival of the heritage of Jeddah, which is also claimed by local actors, has been successful to some degree and is at the centre of this paper, the very emphasis on the built heritage of the hajj evokes also two other cities, much more central to the pilgrimage, namely Mecca and, to some degree, -Medina. These two have seen major destruction in recent years. Saudi protagonists argue that with the number of pilgrims growing from a few thousand at the onset of the twentieth century to more than three million nowadays, more space is needed to make the pilgrimage a safe and comfortable experience. Critics argue, by contrast, that the widespread destruction of the old cities and the reshaping of the holy mosques amounts to an erasure of the very religious heritage the Saudi state purports to protect and develop.