1,300-year-old mosque in Saudi Arabia's Al Baha to be renovated

Al Safa mosque was a social centre where villagers would assemble and discuss affairs

Al Safa is among 130 mosques of historical and religious significance throughout the kingdom to undergo renovation. Photo: SPA

The ancient Al Safa mosque, built in Saudi Arabia 13 centuries ago, will be renovated in a project to safeguard the kingdom's heritage.

The move is a part of the second phase of the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques launched in 2018. The project aims to refurbish 130 mosques of historical and religious significance throughout the kingdom.

Al Safa mosque in the Baljurashi Governorate in Al Baha region is one of the kingdom’s oldest mosques. The renovation will aim to preserve its unique Sarat style and its historical value while restoring its aesthetic elements and renewing its construction, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al Saha was built with stones from the Sarawat Mountains and local wood was used in ceilings, columns, windows and doors.

The renovation will keep the mosque’s footprint and its capacity unchanged. Al Safa occupies an estimated area of 78 square meters and can accommodate 31 worshippers. It is said to be built by Sufyan Al Ghamdi.

The mosque was a prominent social hub where villagers would assemble between maghrib and isha prayers and discuss local affairs and resolve disputes.

The mosque is surrounded by buildings that are separated by narrow passages.

Two distinct columns of juniper trees support the mosque and they will be redeveloped under the project, in addition to preserving the inscriptions on them and those on the staircase unit.

The UAE, in co-operation with Unesco, is helping to rebuild Al Nuri Mosque in Mosul.

The mosque and its famous leaning minaret were destroyed by ISIS in 2017 as government forces closed in on the last fighters from the terrorist group that once held much of north-west Iraq. AFP

The mosque was left largely destroyed after the defeat of ISIS. AP

The minaret was also wrecked by the terrorists. AFP

The 45-metre Al Hadba minaret was built 840 years ago. AFP

Before its destruction, its distinctive lean gave it its name, which translates as 'the hunchback' in Arabic. AFP

The UAE pledged $50.4 million (Dh185m) to restore Al Nuri Mosque and the minaret, in addition to providing expertise and support to co-ordinate the reconstruction. AFP

Work on the reconstruction of Al Hadba in December, 2019. AFP

Al Nuri Mosque dome during a snowstorm in Mosul in February 2020. AFP

An Iraqi worker clears rubble during reconstruction work in December 2019. AFP

Iraqi prime minister at the time, Mustafa Al Khadimi, tours Al Nuri in 2020. Photo: Iraqi PM Media Office

Tourists visit Al Nuri in April 2022. Reuters

An aerial view of the Al Nuri mosque complex during a dust storm in June 2022. AFP

Renovation work on the mosque as seen through a doorway. AFP

A labourer working on the monuments of Al Nuri in January 2022. Reuters

Restoration work at the mosque. AFP

Excavations around Al Nuri. AFP

During the first phase of the project, 30 mosques were renovated at a cost of about 50 million riyals ($13.3m).

The second phase covered 30 more historical mosques across the kingdom's 13 regions, including six mosques in Riyadh, five mosques in Makkah, four in Madinah, three in Asir, two in each in the eastern regions of Al Jouf and Jazan, and one mosque each in Tabuk, Al Baha, Najran, Hail and Al Qassim regions.

The renovation process is being carried out by Saudi companies specialising in renovating heritage buildings and engineers will pick through original features and seek to safeguard the cultural significance of each.