Expansion of Prophet’s Mosque through the ages put on display

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque has organized an exhibition on the mosque’s history and expansion works as part of the ongoing celebration of Madinah as the Islamic Cultural Capital of 2013.
The items on display give an insight into the kind of expansions that the mosque underwent since its inception in the seventh century to date.
“The items showcased also include manuscript copies and photos of the messages sent by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to many kings of his time, inviting them to Islam,” Exhibition Director Abdul Hadi Al-Hujaili said in a statement quoted by the Saudi Press Agency on Friday. "His seal is also among them.”
The items include 35 photographs, replicas of the mosque, tape recordings in English and Arabic, plaques that describe the expansion and constructions ordered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Photos of the razing of old buildings, diggings for new constructions, foundation stone-laying ceremonies and completion of construction, expansion of its squares and construction of car parks and utilities can also be viewed, Al-Hujaili said.
The exhibition venue is at the southern side of the mosque.
Books describing various aspects and history of the mosque and the city of Madinah are also exhibited. One book on display is on the imams of the mosque over the past decade.
Videos on various stages of the expansion and construction of the mosque are being shown at a closed hall. The films include the efforts of King Abdul Aziz and his successors in the development of the mosque.
It also gives a video presentation of the ongoing 30,500-square-meter expansion ordered by King Abdullah in March and the installation of 250 huge umbrellas and cooling and water spraying systems using 436 fans in the mosque squares, he said.
When the expansion works are completed in less than two years, the mosque will have a capacity of 1.6 million worshippers.
“The exhibition will also showcase rare manuscripts and copies of the Holy Qur’an including a copy of the Amma juz, Surah Maryam, Surah Al-Fatihah, beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah, and Surah Ibrahim. It will also give details on the construction of the service buildings, control rooms and the service tunnels besides the standby power stations and air-conditioning system,” he said.
School and university students who wish to visit the exhibition should apply for that at the exhibition office, he said, adding that they can visit on weekdays from Sunday through Thursday during the forenoon.