Crown Prince Project for Developing historical mosques restores holy places civilization
The second phase of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s project to develop historic mosques included five mosques in the Makkah region.
Crown Prince Project for Developing historical mosques
The project aims to protect and restore its historical fabric, in addition to extending its life and preserving the integrity of its architectural character affected by changes in earth’s climate patterns during the previous centuries and decades.
The Bay’ah Mosque, which was built by the Abbasid Caliph Abu Jaafar Al-Mansour, near Jamrat Al-Aqaba in the Sha’ar Mina, is the first mosque targeted for development in the Makkah region during the second phase of the project.
Because of the importance it represents, it appears in his biography, which constitutes the best way to understand its characteristics and the appropriate methods for its restoration and development.
The mosque, located in Shaab Al-Ansar, the place of the pledge of allegiance that resulted in the migration of the Prophet in the Mash’ar of Mina, has unique architectural characteristics that depend on a set of artistic and contextual values in the field of architecture and construction, which made it the focus of the Prince Muhammad bin Salman project, which it aims to stop the damage to mosques and the deterioration of their historical buildings.
The Bay’ah Mosque was hidden from view behind Mount Aqaba, until it appeared as a result of the Jamarat expansion projects in 1428, to become a visible part of the landmarks and monuments of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the holy sites.
After the restoration, the area of the mosque will remain as it was before, estimated at 457.56 square meters, while its capacity will reach 68 worshipers at one time.
The project aimed to develop two mosques in Jeddah, one of which is Abu Anaba Mosque in Haret Al-Sham, whose first construction dates back more than 900 years, and its area before the restoration was 339.98 square meters, while after the restoration it will be 335.31 square meters, and it will accommodate 357 worshipers.
The Al-Khidr Mosque, located on Al-Dahab Street in the Al-Balad neighborhood, about 66 kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, dates back more than 700 years. The mosque was built and named after it, and the area of the mosque after its restoration will be 355.09 square meters, while its rows will accommodate about 355 worshipers.
Al-Fath Mosque in Al-Jumoum Governorate is among the mosques targeted for development in Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s project for the development of historical mosques in its second phase.
It is the mosque in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed in the year of the conquest, and it was subjected to neglect, demolition and ruin during the previous centuries until it was restored in 1419, and its area will increase from 455.77 square meters to 553.50 square meters, while the capacity for worshipers will increase from 218 to 333.
In the Thaqif Center in the south of Taif Governorate, the Jubail Mosque is located, which is targeted for development, as its construction dates back more than 300 years. It was the headquarters for performing Friday prayers before moving to another mosque due to the presence of sufficient parking spaces, and its area will reach 310 square meters.
The total number of mosques that will be subject to development in the second phase of Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s project for the development of historical mosques is 30 mosques distributed in all regions of Saudi Arabia.
They will be developed according to modern mechanisms that ensure the integrity of materials and architectural designs after a careful assessment of the history, characteristics, and advantages of each mosque.
