The Red Sea Museum documents the genius of Islamic navigation with rare tools that are more than 400 years old

2026/06/28 2:27:59 PM

2 minutes read

The Red Sea Museum documents the genius of Islamic navigation with rare tools that are more than 400 years old

Reveals The Red Sea Museum in historic Jeddah is an important aspect of Islamic navigational heritage, through a unique collection of historical Qibla indicators, compasses, and sundials that embody the scientific precision and craftsmanship that the navigation instrument industry has achieved, and its pivotal role in serving sailors, merchants, and pilgrims over long centuries.

The museum includes more than 20 rare navigational instruments, some of which date back more than 400 years, and bear inscriptions of Qur’anic verses, the call to prayer, and supplications, in addition to models. It was made of gold-plated copper and lacquered wood, in a clear reflection of the integration between navigational knowledge and the religious and cultural dimension in Islamic civilization.

Cultural Heritage

The museum’s holdings display tools dating back to the period extending between the seventeenth and twentieth centuries AD, made of various materials including copper, silver, wood, ivory and glass, reflecting the development witnessed in the means of navigation and determining the time and direction of the Qibla in the world.

Qibla indicators and compasses stand out as among the most important tools relied upon by travelers, sailors, and pilgrims, as they combined the magnetic compass and guide disks to determine the direction of Mecca from various cities, which enabled travelers to perform prayer during their travels. Sundials also contributed to determining times and times of prayer based on the movement of the sun, indicative of the scientific progress achieved by Muslims in the fields of astronomy and navigation.

Among the most prominent exhibits are A qibla pointer and a compass dating back to the nineteenth century AD. Their facades are decorated 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 through the Red Sea, which formed one of the most important sea lanes linking continents and civilizations.

The Red Sea Museum continues its efforts to preserve this cultural heritage and highlight it through exhibits documenting the history of Islamic navigation, and highlighting the cultural status of the Red Sea, This contributes to enriching the cultural experience of visitors, and supports efforts to revive historic Jeddah and enhance its position as a global cultural destination, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.