Review

Abstract

Freitag expands more on the regulation of space and the implementation of law and order in this changing cosmopolitan city. In this chapter, she returns to her initial discussion of managing difference in Jeddah, highlighting how the Saudi state consolidated power through legal codes that both segregated and removed cosmopolitan difference. As a foundational study on Jeddah, Freitag illuminates the city’s trajectory of development from the 1800s into the contemporary era. While the book provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of Jeddah during the modern period, this macro view of the city lacks the voices of locals outside the elite class. As a study examining the development of Jeddah primarily from 1840 to 1947, the city and its spaces hold the book together, while the changes occurring during this time challenge the authors’ ability to convey individual stories outside of those who left a mark on imperial sources. However, Freitag’s limited discussion of additional Ottoman archives and court records leaves more layers to uncover for other scholars. As a result of this limited source material and due to space constraints, Freitag offers only brief extrapolations of experiences of women, poorer classes, and Bedouin. She also leaves Indian Ocean and Bedouin connections unexplored. Indeed, this book pairs well with M. Christopher Low’s recent book, Imperial Mecca. Set against the backdrop of recent national discussions and Jeddah’s place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Freitag provides readers with a glimpse of historical Jeddah. Freitag’s book adds to the growing scholarship that seeks to illuminate life on the periphery of the Ottoman Empire. Refreshingly, she is honest and clear about the archival and thematic gaps in the history of Jeddah as she welcomes other contributions towards elucidating Jeddah’s history. This study would be a welcome addition to a graduate seminar on Saudi Arabia, the Ottoman Empire, or urban history in the Middle East. For that, the book delivers foundational research that allows the reader to better understand the role of Jeddah and its people in the history of the region.