The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah reveals an important aspect of Islamic maritime heritage through a unique collection of qibla indicators, compasses, and historical sundials that embody the scientific precision and craftsmanship achieved in the manufacture of navigation instruments, and their pivotal role in serving sailors, merchants, and pilgrims over centuries. The museum houses more than 20 rare navigation tools, some dating back over 400 years, bearing engravings of Quranic verses, the call to prayer, and supplications, along with models made of gold-plated copper and lacquered wood, clearly reflecting the integration of navigational knowledge with religious and cultural dimensions in Islamic civilization.

Red Sea Museum Documents Islamic Navigation Genius with Rare Tools Over 400 Years Old

Cultural Heritage

The museum’s collection showcases tools dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries, made from various materials including copper, silver, wood, ivory, and glass, reflecting the development of navigation, timekeeping, and qibla direction methods in the Islamic world. Qibla indicators and compasses stand out as among the most important tools relied upon by travelers, sailors, and pilgrims, combining magnetic compasses with guidance disks to determine the direction of Mecca from different cities, enabling travelers to perform prayers during their journeys. Sundials also helped determine prayer times based on the sun’s movement, indicating the scientific progress Muslims achieved in astronomy and navigation.

Red Sea Museum Documents Islamic Navigation Genius with Rare Tools Over 400 Years Old

Among the most notable exhibits are a qibla indicator and compass from the 19th century, their faces adorned with a map of the Red Sea, its coastal cities, and the Holy Kaaba, embodying the close historical relationship between maritime navigation and trade and pilgrimage routes across the Red Sea, which formed one of the most important sea passages linking continents and civilizations. The Red Sea Museum continues its efforts to preserve and highlight this cultural heritage through exhibits documenting the history of Islamic navigation and shedding light on the civilizational status of the Red Sea, enriching the cultural experience of visitors and supporting efforts to revive Historic Jeddah and enhance its position as a global cultural destination, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

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