JEDDAH, 2 August 2005 — The marvelous expansions of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah are one of the greatest achievements of King Fahd. He initiated the expansions, the largest in history, in order to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims who come to the two holy cities from within and outside Saudi Arabia. At present, each of them can house more than a million worshippers at a time.
King Fahd was following in the footsteps of his father King Abdul Aziz, the founder of the Kingdom. One of King Abdul Aziz’s overriding concerns, echoing those of the early caliphs, was his task of taking care of the well being of the pilgrims coming to perform Haj and Umrah. Aware then that the Holy Mosques could not hold the growing numbers of worshippers, King Abdul Aziz initiated a refurbishment and expansion program, which served the holy sites well for many years.
Nevertheless, anticipating a further growth in the numbers undertaking the pilgrimage, early in his reign, King Fahd called for a complete review of the Haj amenities as well as the design of the Holy sites themselves. In 1988 (1408/09H) he laid the foundation stone for what is in fact the third Saudi expansion of the Haram Mosque in Makkah.
This expansion is undoubtedly the most spectacular by any standard. The project was carried out as part of a multibillion-riyal modernization program for both the Holy Mosques. The astonishing works at the Holy Mosque site in Makkah have included the expansion of the western wing of the existing mosque. This development, coupled with other work, has enabled the mosque to accommodate a million worshippers in peak seasons including Haj and Ramadan.
The whole project has been undertaken on a gigantic scale. The roof has been expanded to provide over 60,000 square meters of extra prayer area, while a further 86,000 square meters has been created in the surrounding plaza. In a triumph of sensitive architectural design, the seven soaring white stone minarets that already existed have been joined by two more. The mosque has also been given a magnificent new entrance along with 18 other gates to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims. The king commissioned exquisite decorative work throughout the building. Outstanding examples of the finest craftsmanship adorn a series of three domes running parallel to the main gate structure, as well as almost 500 marbled columns on the ground and first floors.
But the enhancements have not only been architectural. They have been technological as well. One of the most obviously high technology solutions to help the huge numbers of pilgrims at the Holy Mosque has been the installation of an extremely sophisticated broadcasting network. Others include an advanced air-conditioning system, which works quietly and efficiently to cool the entire building and further ensure the comfort of worshippers.
The Haram expansion also required major town planning works. Thus to avoid the build up of traffic jams around the mosque, the work included a new tunnel for vehicles near Alsouk Alsagir. Over and around the road system, meanwhile, an intricate system of pedestrian routes and tunnels has been established to keep traffic and pedestrians apart and avoid accidents. The king had also initiated the laying of a brand new drainage system to overcome the recurring flooding problems that have affected Makkah from pre-Islamic times.
The expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, which was ordered by King Fahd, was equally ambitious. Work on these advancements actually started in 1985 (1405/06H), before the enhancement of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The result is that the Madinah Mosque can also accommodate over a million worshippers at the height of the Haj and other peak seasons.
Perhaps most notable among an extraordinary range of enhancements is the new King Fahd gate to the mosque, on the northern side. This hugely imposing entrance is topped on both sides with an abundance of domes and minarets. There are delicately crafted golden grills, cornices, pillars, brass doors and astonishingly beautiful marble work, as well as special ornately carved pigeonholes for the Holy Qur’an. King Fahd had instructed that immense pains should be taken by the designer to ensure that this stunning new gate should be in complete harmony with other buildings on the site.
One of the extraordinary features of the expansion project was the creation of the 27 main plazas, every one of which is equipped by a state-of-the-art sliding dome, which can be rapidly opened or closed according to the weather.
Each of these sliding domes can be operated in unison or individually.
The Prophet’s Mosque has also benefited from the building of six further minarets, each soaring 105 meters and crowned with a gold-plated crescent, each weighing no less than four tons. As in Makkah, no expense or effort has been spared to the fine detail of the new work, with elaborately carved stone friezes decorating the domes, while the plazas are all paved in decorative, geometrically-patterned marble tiles.
The area around the Prophet’s Mosque has also been developed and seven specially sited new entrances have been installed, to ensure the smooth passage of pilgrims in and out of the building. This requirement has been given the highest priority in the design so that all extensions have been equipped with an adequate number of staircases and escalators.
As in the Haram Mosque in Makkah, extra prayer space has been created on the roof area. This work has been undertaken in such a way that the structure is strong enough to accommodate a further floor at some future date. The Prophet’s Mosque also now boasts complete air-conditioning. In addition, the two main courts of the mosque are each furnished with six immense umbrellas, made of Teflon in order to withstand ferocious temperatures. Each of these ingenious devices, specially designed by King Fahd’s architects, can be opened and shut mechanically so as to protect worshippers with deep shade.
The overall effect of the work undertaken on the Prophet’s Mosque is quite amazing. However, hidden beneath the structure and the surrounding area is a web of high technology which is almost as impressive. An immense basement complex had to be constructed to house the considerable amount of service equipment and wiring.
There is also a labyrinth of service tunnels and drainage systems that now crisscross the whole area.
