Riyadh– The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for Developing Historical Mosques, in its second phase, seeks to preserve the safety of Al-Jouf mosques and protect them from damages and deteriorations through a mixture of art, design and IT values and a well-considered control of surrounding circumstances and potential dangers.
Al-Saidan Mosque, which is under development in Al-Ruhaibin neighborhood, is one of the most important mosques that the scheme is targeting for its old historical values and being one of the landmarks of Dumah Al-Jandal City whose establishment dates back to 620 Hijri, which makes it the oldest mosque in the city after Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, in addition to its being a headquarters to hold Friday and group prayers and a house for judiciary in Al-Jouf Region.
The mosque is characterized by its being close to an old well known as Aba Al-Jibal Well, where the mosque is characterized among others for having the only mutawada (ablution space). The area of the mosque before renovation stands at around 179 square meters and will increase to 202.39 square meters, where its capacity is expected to go up to 68 worshippers after it ceased to welcome worshippers during the past period.
Al-Fweihi Mosque in Sakaka City is also one of the development targets of the project, where it is under renovation according to a set of architectural interventions that will make it unique and restore it to the nearest shape of its original status that was formed upon its construction in 1380 Hijri.
The importance of the mosque lies in the fact that it is the oldest in Sakaka and is also known as Shaman Mosque after the name of the owner who built: Shaman Khalaf Al-Fweihi. The mosque collapsed after a car collision accident in 1430 Hijri and was renovated and restored to its original shape. The area of the mosque, which receives worshippers for performing the five daily prayers since its establishment, was 72.33 square meters before renovation, and is expected to increase to 93.98 square meters after renovation with its capacity remaining the same at 28 worshippers.
The project aims to restore and rehabilitate 130 historical mosques in all regions of the Kingdom, with 30 mosques of historical heritage will be included in the second stage. The project is implemented by Saudi companies and engineers specialized in heritage buildings with expertise in their field to ensure the preservation of the original urban identity of each mosque since its establishment.
Source: Saudi Press Agency