Doors and Gates

In Saudi Arabia, almost all men wear a white thobe and women a black abaya. The Koran states that a man should be judged by his deeds not on his appearance, so the thobe expresses equality. In addition to matching dress, almost all of the home exteriors, whatever size and type, are predominantly white stucco, despite the size of the unit. Almost all homes are shielded from the street behind gates and walls for both privacy and security.

However, one area where I have found individual expressions on display is the front gates or doors to homes. Many gates are basic, such as the standard gate to my villa (house #4415), not unlike a wooden gate you would find as part of a fenced yard in the U.S. But many gates are ornate and seem to reflect the size of the home, particular taste and/or degree of wealth of the household behind the wall. Walking a lot provides the best way to notice the differences in gates. All of these were taken within a few blocks of my house.