RIYADH: The second phase of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious project to restore 130 historic mosques in Saudi Arabia has got underway in Al-Jouf.
The project seeks to preserve Al-Jouf’s mosques from deterioration through applying artistic, design and IT solutions to control their environments and mitigate potential dangers.
The redevelopment initiative aims to return the mosques to service as houses of worship while highlighting their religious, cultural, social, and architectural importance to the Kingdom. Each building will first be assessed to determine the extent of repair and reconstruction work required internally and externally.
One of the mosques earmarked for restoration in Al-Jouf is Al-Saidan Mosque, one of the most important for its historical value and as a local landmark in Dumat Al-Jandal. Built around 1223 AD, it is one of the oldest mosques in the city after Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque.
Al-Saidan Mosque is characterized by its proximity to an old well, known as Aba Al-Jibal well.
Al-Fweihi Mosque in Sakaka city is also one of the development targets, as it is under renovation to restore it to its original state.
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 it, Shaman Khalaf Al-Fweihi. The mosque collapsed after a car accident in 2009.
The project is being implemented by Saudi companies and engineers specializing in heritage buildings to ensure the preservation of the original urban identity of each mosque.
