Jiddah

Jiddah, or JEDDAH, a seaport of the Hedjaz, Arabia, stands on the Red Sea, about 65 miles W. of Mecca. It is an unhealthy town, suffers greatly from want of water, and is surrounded by a desert. It owes its importance to the fact that it is the port of Mecca, and consequently the place of disembarkation for pilgrims (sometimes 100,000 in a year) bound for the holy city. Besides this it has an active trade, which, however, has steadily decreased, although it still amounts in value to about £1,000,000 annually. The imports comprise corn, sugar, metals, earthenware, manufactured textiles, &c.; and the exports consist chiefly of mother-of-pearl, hides, coffee, balsams, dates, carpets, &c. Pop. (1891) 46,950.