The First Saudi Expansion of the Prophet's Mosque

The First Saudi Expansion of the Prophet's Mosque is the first spatial and architectural ‎enlargement of the Prophet’s Mosque in the Saudi era. It was first initiated by the ‎Founder King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1949, and was ‎completed by his son King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud after the death of his father in 1955. It lasted for seven years. ‎

Before the expansion, there had been several repairs and restorations, the first of ‎which was directed by King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud in 1931, to improve and repair floors, corridors, entrances, minarets, and to enclose the ‎cracked columns with iron belts that preserved them from further cracking and falling. ‎

In 1946, a number of the stones relied upon for the integrity of the ‎building disintegrated, and in 1949, King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al ‎Saud announced, through a radio statement, the beginning of the first Saudi ‎expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque. ‎

In 1952, the Crown Prince at that time, Prince Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al ‎Saud, laid the foundation stone for the Saudi expansion, on behalf of his father, King ‎Abdulaziz. During the following year, King Saud placed four stones in the northwest corner of the expansion, ‎completing the implementation of the expansion that his father had begun before he ‎died. ‎

The expansion extended from the Eastern Women’s Gate, Bab un Nisa, to Bab ‎Uthman on the northern side of the Prophet’s ‎Mosque, and included the northern and western parts. The work stopped at Bab al-‎Rahmah. An area of 6,247 m² was added, starting from the building of the northern ‎side and reaching the mosque, an additional 6,024 m² was added, bringing the total of ‎the first Saudi expansion to 12,271 m². ‎

The expansion was executed using concrete structures, distributed among 706 round columns, including which 232 ‎columns are clad with brass heads engraved with arches covered with artificial stones, ‎in addition to forty-four windows and 170 flat domes. ‎

The expansion consisted of fourteen porticos and two atria (an atrium is an unroofed floor). ‎Also, five new doors were added to the five northern ones, bringing the total to ten ‎doors. In addition, two minarets were constructed, each reaching a height of seventy-two m, ‎divided into four floors, to double the minarets of the Prophet's Mosque to four, after ‎they were only two. ‎

In the First Saudi Expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque, the first station for lighting the ‎Prophet’s Mosque was constructed, and the lamps were doubled to become 2,427 ‎lamps. The old and dilapidated buildings in the vicinity of the mosque were also ‎removed after the completion of the expansion to harmonize the neighboring buildings ‎and facilities with the new form of the mosque’s architecture. For this purpose, a new ‎door called Bab Al-Siddique was added, and new rooms were built next to the door, ‎increasing the area of the mosque to 16,327 m². ‎

Expansion works continued during the reign of King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as ‎the flow of visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque increased, which necessitated an ‎enlargement in the area allocated for prayer. Therefore, in 1973, King ‎Faisal Bin Abdulaziz decided to convert the areas west of the mosque to prayer sites, ‎with an area of 35,000 m² in the first phase, while in the second phase, it reached 5,550 ‎m², more than double the original area of the Prophet’s Mosque before the expansion. ‎

During the reign of King Faisal, the expansion was paved, and ‎fiberglass canopies were installed. Furthermore, it was provided by electricity services, ‎fans, loudspeakers, and mattresses. Its total area, including halls and outdoor yards, is ‎‎40,550 m². ‎

In 1977, King Khalid Bin Abdulaziz started the expansion of the ‎Prophet's Mosque in the direction of the cloth market, the additional areas were added ‎to the expansion implemented by King Faisal. ‎

After the First Saudi Expansion ordered by King Abdulaziz, ‎implemented by King Saud, then doubled by King Faisal, and further increased by King Khalid, the ‎Second Saudi Expansion of the Prophet's Mosque was the expansion of King Fahd Bin ‎Abdulaziz Al Saud in 1984, and is called the "Second Saudi Expansion". ‎