Jeddah

Jeddah is a city on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia with a population of over 1.2 million people. Founded as a fishing village over 2,500 years ago, it first achieved prominence in 647 A.D., when the Muslim caliph Uthman ibn Affan turned it into a port for pilgrims making the haj to Mecca.

There are two acounts explaining the etymology of the name Jeddah, which is pronounced Jiddah in Arabic. According to the most common account, it means "seashore," since Jeddah is located along the coast, and is Saudi Arabia's most important port. Some people, however, prefer to pronounce it Jaddah, which means "grandmother": in Islamic tradition, the tomb of Eve, grandmother of all humanity, is located in the city.