Marble, marble everywhere! This is what one can expect to see in the middle-eastern city of Medina. It’s the first thing that caught my eye, that high gloss, sleek finish that gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. The hotel we stayed in had every color, shape and make of marble. It covered floors and walls and even met us outside on the pavements and streets which were covered with archways of beautiful ornate peach-colored speckled marble The more we walked around this grand city, the more marble we saw in literally everything!

We learned that the marble is crafted from the quarries of Ibri in Oman where it is engineered to create Al Madinah marble which is said to be the finest marble in the world and measures up to QSS world standards.

We marveled at the spectacular examples of architectural decoration produced in the 15th century from the Timurid dynasty which features geometric motifs from all cultures. The intricate designs adorn pillars, columns and outer walls of buildings. In fact, because it is everywhere it is easy to overlook the exquisite beauty of this everyday art. Medina certainly is a city that shines in the sunlight and glistens with the rain!