''King Fahd's Fountain'' (), also known as the ''Jeddah Fountain'', is in
Jeddah
Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...
, Saudi Arabia. It is the tallest
fountain
A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect.
Fountains were o ...
of its type in the world. It is named after King
Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the ruler of Saudi Arabia from 1982 until 2005.
Overview
The fountain was donated to the city of Jeddah by
King Fahd
Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (; 1920, 1921 or 1923 – 1 August 2005) was King of Saudi Arabia, King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 13 June 1982 until his death in 2005. Prior to his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 1 ...
, hence its name. It was constructed between 1980 and 1983 and was launched in 1985.
Located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, the fountain jets water to a maximum height of . The second-tallest is the
World Cup Fountain in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, South Korea, with a water height of .
King Fahd's Fountain is listed in
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
as the highest water fountain in the world.
The fountain is visible throughout the vicinity of Jeddah. The water ejected can reach a speed of and its airborne mass can exceed .
The fountain uses saltwater taken from the
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
instead of freshwater. Over 500 LED spotlights illuminate the fountain at night.
History
The fountain was initially built between 1980 and 1983, and was inspired by the
Geneva Fountain (length 140 meters, pumping speed 124 mph), but the planners were not satisfied with the height. The fountain was then operated in its current form in 1985 to pump sea water at a speed of 233 miles per hour to a height of 312 meters (1024 feet).
Team Red Bull Air Force base jumper Othar Lawrence set a global record by making a historic jump along the fountain.
Design
The base of the fountain is in the form of a large
mabkhara, an incense burner which symbolizes Arabian culture. Since the fountain pumps sea water, rust and corrosion were the main concerns of those who built it. Before reaching the pump, the water passes through several filters to purify it from dirt, sand and organic matter. The fountain is lit by 500 high-light LEDs.
See also
*
*
List of things named after Saudi kings
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1985 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Buildings and structures in Jeddah
Fountains in Saudi Arabia
Tourist attractions in Jeddah