Since its founding more than 100 years ago, the Saudi government has paid great attention to the architecture of the Prophet’s Noble Sanctuary, by establishing a number of development, expansion and architecture projects, and Medina recorded at the present time the largest expansion in the history of the Prophet’s Mosque since its inception, as Medina is witnessing expansion projects Huge to increase the capacity of the worshipers, and to provide many services, and the Saudi government has preserved in its expansion projects in Medina the old building of the Prophet’s Mosque, by maintaining its aesthetic appearance, renewing the Prophet’s mihrab, and strengthening all the pillars of the honorable kindergarten and covering it with new white marble, in addition to Strengthening all the old building columns and completing their copper bases, making copper collars, providing central air conditioning, in addition to restoring the inscriptions and lines in the domes and on the walls in order to preserve their beauty and splendor. The expansion of the Prophet's Mosque continues, and it is expected that if it is completed, the capacity of the mosque will reach one million and 800 thousand worshipers. The Director of Public Relations at the Agency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque, Abdul Wahed Al-Hattab, stated that the blessed expansion works are proceeding well, and in full swing, as the pace is accelerating to complete all stages on time, in light of the keenness of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to provide the best Services for visitors to Medina, and its residents.
It is noteworthy that the first expansion was on the 13th of Rabi` al-Awwal of the year 1372 AH corresponding to 1952. Work began to expand the mosque by order of King Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God have mercy on him -, and after purchasing lands and demolishing them to prepare them for the new construction, the total area of the mosque reached 16,326 square meters, accommodating 28,000 worshipers. A stone factory was established near the city for the purposes of reconstruction, and as for the rest of the materials, they were carried by ships to the port of Yanbu and then to Medina by large cars, and the tonnage of the unloaded materials in the port for reconstruction amounted to more than 30,000 tons, and the expansion was completed in the early year 1375 AH Corresponding to 1955, and the cost of this project amounted to 50 million riyals, and King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God have mercy on him – inaugurated it on Rabi` al-Awwal 5 in the year 1375 AH, corresponding to October 1955.
This expansion is a rectangular building 128 meters long by 91 meters wide. On the eastern side, King Abdulaziz Gate was opened, and on the western side, King Saud Gate, each consisting of 3 adjacent doors. As for the northern side, 3 doors were opened, Omar Gate, And the door of Othman, and the door of Abd al-Majid, and the number of columns reached 232 columns with pointed arches on top. It is the one that was at the Gate of Mercy and the Sulaymaniyah and Majidiyah minaret on the northern side, and two minarets were built in the eastern and western corners of the northern side, each of which is 72 meters high, so the mosque has 4 minarets in its 4 corners.
Because of the increase in the number of pilgrims, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God have mercy on him – issued his order to prepare places for prayer in the west of the mosque. The buildings on that side were demolished and a shaded chapel was built, with an area of about 35,000 square meters, with 80 umbrellas. It was put into effect in 1873, and remained until it was removed in the second Saudi expansion.
While the second Saudi expansion began in the month of Muharram of the year 1406 AH corresponding to 1985. Work began on the largest expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque by order of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God have mercy on him – and it was completed in 1414 AH corresponding to 1994, as the expansion included the eastern, western and northern sides of the mosque By adding an area of 82,000 square meters to accommodate about 150,000 worshippers, thus, the total area of the mosque became 98,326 square meters, accommodating 178,000 worshipers, and the surface area of 67,000 square meters was added, of which 58,250 square meters were prepared for prayer and accommodated 90,000 worshipers, so the total area for prayer was 156.57 square meters. It accommodates 268,000 worshippers. The area of the squares surrounding the mosque is added to 135,000 square meters, of which 135,000 square meters are prepared for prayer, accommodating 430,000 worshipers, thus bringing the total number of worshipers to more than 698,000 worshipers.
The columns and arcades were designed in the style of the first Saudi expansion, and the external walls were covered with granite, and 6 new minarets were added that are consistent with the two minarets in the first Saudi expansion. The expansion building was provided with several advanced systems, including camera systems, permanent and backup electrical power systems, and fire extinguishing systems. and sanitation systems. These new systems and facilities included several directions: The ground floor, and this floor is considered the main floor in the expansion building, and its floor is covered with marble, and its height is 12.55 meters, and the total number of columns reached 2104 columns, with a height of 5.6 meters to the beginning of the arch, and it was clad with white marble imported from Italy and Spain .
Women's chapel: Spaces for women have been allocated on the northeastern side with an area of 16,000 square meters, and another on the northwestern side with an area of 8,000 square meters.
The doors of the mosque: Before this expansion, the mosque had 11 doors, 5 of which became inside the new expansion building, which are the King Saud Gate, Omar Gate, Othman Gate, Abdul Majeed Gate, and King Abdulaziz Gate, and the total number of entrances became 41, some of which consist of one door, and some of two adjacent doors. And 3 doors and 5 adjacent doors, so the total number becomes 85 doors. These entrances were built of concrete and covered with marble and granite on the outside. They were provided with huge wooden doors with a width of 3 meters and a height of 6 meters. Dear wood imported from Sweden and covered with bronze was used in the processing of the doors. Every door is “Muhammad,” and above each door is a stone plaque on which is written the verse “Enter it in peace and security.”
Movable domes: Several open courtyards were provided for the mosque with the aim of ventilation and natural lighting. There are 27 courtyards with an area of 324 square meters each, and they were covered with movable domes at a height of 3.55 meters from the level of the expansion surface, at a height of 16.65 meters from the level of the ground floor, and with an internal radius of 7.35 meters. Each one weighed 80 lbs
tons, and the inner face consists of layers of wood with a thickness of 20 millimeters studded with valuable stones inside gilded frames, as 67.5 kilograms of gold were used, and the domes are controlled by a central computer powered by electricity, and it takes about one minute to open or close the dome.
The roof of the expansion: The surface area of the expansion is about 67,000 square meters, of which 58,250 square meters are dedicated to praying, and it accommodates 90,000 worshipers.
Minarets: 6 minarets were erected in the expansion building, 4 of which are located in the 4 corners of the expansion, and two minarets in the middle of the northern side, with a height of 103.89 meters with the crescent. Each minaret consists of 5 parts:
Square in shape, with a side of 5.5 meters, a height of 27 meters, covered with granite stone.
The octagonal shape, with a diameter of 5.5 meters and a height of 21 meters, is covered with colored artificial stone.
The cylindrical shape, with a diameter of 5 meters and a height of 18 meters.
The cylindrical shape, with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a height of 15 meters.
The conical shape is surmounted by a dome and ends with a bronze crescent, 6.7 meters long, weighing 4.5 tons, plated with 14 carat gold.
Walls: It consists of two walls with a space between them connected by reinforced columns, and the thickness of the inner wall is 30, and the outer wall is 30 centimeters.
Decorations: The decoration works were designed to suit their counterparts in the first Saudi expansion, and they include decorations, cornices to beautify the walls, minarets, wrought iron works, wooden doors inlaid with copper, and cladding works with ornate marble.
The courtyards of the mosque: The mosque was surrounded from the southern, western and northern sides with areas amounting to 235,000 square meters, and part of it was covered with white heat-reflecting marble, and the rest was covered with granite and artificial stone, and it was lit by lighting units installed on 151 columns covered with granite. metres, with gates. These squares accommodate about 430,000 worshipers, and these squares include entrances to toilets, ablutions, and resting places for visitors, and are connected to car parks that are located in two underground floors.
Basement: The expansion works included the construction of a basement with an area of 82,000 square meters and a height of 4.1 meters. The entire floor was covered with ceramics. It was specially designed to accommodate various equipment such as air conditioning, ventilation, water and sewage networks, alarm network, fire extinguishing system, drinking water network, dome control devices, sound systems, cameras, etc., and this floor has 8 entrances.
Car parking: It is located under the squares surrounding the mosque from the south, north and west sides. It consists of two floors below the ground surface. It is connected to the main roads through 6 entrances and exits for cars. It accommodates about 4,444 cars.
Public service buildings: The parking lots contain service buildings of 15 units, each of which consists of 4 floors and connects the parking lots to the outdoor yards by means of escalators. These units include 690 drinking water fountains, 1890 toilets, and 5600 ablution units.
Museum of Anecdotes of the Noble Chamber: The sultans and princes used to gift precious rarities to the Prophet’s Chamber to be placed inside it, and in 1981 they were preserved in the room that was specially built above the library of the Prophet’s Mosque, and it has an entrance under the old Saudi minaret to the right of the interior from Bab Omar.
Umbrellas in the courtyard of the mosque: In the mosque there is a rectangular courtyard to the north of the Majidi building, so 12 umbrellas were installed to protect people from the heat of the sun and the severity of cold and rain. When opened, they show the shape of water fountains, and when closed, they appear as small beacons with conical heads.
The southern cabin: A cabin was built in the direction of the qiblah, and its length is 87.5 meters, with an area of 437.5 square meters, and it has 4 doors.
While the third expansion began by order of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud – may God have mercy on him – and in August 2010 the project of the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque was completed. Square, with the aim of protecting worshipers from rain and sun heat during prayer. The project included the manufacture and installation of 182 umbrellas on the pillars of the Prophet’s Mosque squares, in addition to 68 umbrellas in the eastern squares, bringing the total number of umbrellas to 250 umbrellas, at a cost of 4.7 billion Saudi riyals. They are different, so that one rises above the other, in the form of groups, to be intertwined with each other, and the height of one is 14.40 meters, and the other is 15.30 meters, while the height of all umbrellas when closed is equal to a height of 21.70 meters. In June of 2012, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz – may God have mercy on him – ordered the start of the implementation of the largest expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina under the name “King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Project for the Expansion of the Prophet’s Noble Sanctuary”, and in 3 phases, the first phase of which can accommodate more than 800,000 worshipers. In the second and third phases, the eastern and western courtyards of the Haram will be expanded, to accommodate an additional 800,000 worshippers. It is estimated at about 12.5 hectares, about 25 billion riyals. According to the project plans, improvements will be made to the public squares and the social square around the mosque.
Sami Al-Maghamisi (Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah)