JEDDAH, 15 May 2005 — Last week’s heavy rains in Madinah caused considerable damage to Jannat Al-Baqi, the historical graveyard located close to the Prophet’s Mosque.
Rains have affected the general appearance of the graveyard. Some of the graves were torn open with remains still inside and visible and others had holes in them. The torrent of floodwater turned part of the graveyard into a lake.
The main reasons for the damage are the lack of an adequate drainage system, essential because of the uneven topography and the shallowness of many individual graves.
According to Al-Madinah daily, some human remains were spread over the site and at one place, a human skull lay in the mud outside one grave. Other remains were swept away by the rainwater.
Dr. Abdul Basit Badr, manager of Al-Madinah Research Center, said Jannat Al-Baqi is one of the oldest graveyards and dates back to 15 centuries. “It’s a historical cemetery that must be protected,” Badr said.
Omar Falata, a teacher at the holy mosque, said the dead should be treated with dignity as if they were alive. “Authorities should fix the damaged graves and rebury the remains that were washed out by rains,” he said.
He also called for the setting up of a rainwater drainage system inside the graveyard.
