MADINAH, 21 December 2006 — As part of efforts to preserve the Islamic heritage and antiquities in the holy city of Madinah, Crown Prince Sultan has instructed the authorities to stop demolition works on the historic Salae Mountain, located northwest of the Prophet’s Mosque.
“The crown prince has also ordered the formation of a committee to study the present condition of the mountain and expropriate real estate properties near the mountain to complete the ring road surrounding it,” said a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Madinah Governor Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Majed thanked the crown prince for his action and praised his efforts in preserving Islamic landmarks.
Prince Sultan earlier instructed authorities to restore the centuries-old Osaifreen Mountain in Madinah.
“Salae and Osaifreen mountains are great historic sites as they have witnessed a number of important Islamic events,” the governor said, adding that a number of tourism projects would be established at the historical sites in the near future.
The historic Khandaq Battle took place near Salae Mountain in the fifth year of Hijrah. The commander of the Muslim force took position on top of the mountain where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and many of his companions had their camps.
Prince Sultan stopped demolition of the historic site in response to the demand of people living in the area who wanted to preserve the location.
The famous Seven Mosques were located west of Salae Mountain, which is situated close to the trench (khandaq) dug by the Prophet and his companions to protect them from invaders.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to stay at Banu Haram Mosque that was built on the western side of the mountain. Old Kufic writings on its northern side are still visible. A famous place called Dakkat Jalal is located to the east.
Located about 700 meters away from the Prophet’s Mosque, Salae Mountain is composed of basalt rocks; it is nearly a kilometer in length, 80 meters high and 300 to 800 meters wide.
The Madinah Municipality caused another controversy earlier this year when it pulled down the Aqeeq Valley Bridge, which was part of the historic Hejaz Railway, in August. Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), then said that the demolition of the bridge was an unacceptable mistake.
There are some 1,000 tourist sites in Madinah with Islamic monuments representing about 50 percent of the total. Efforts are being made to develop these sites as part of a major effort by the Supreme Commission for Tourism to promote domestic tourism and attract foreign tourists.
