Early mosques are focus of Saudi Arabia's latest renovation project

Places of worship will be painstakingly preserved

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  Saudi Arabia will refurbish mosques of historical and religious significance throughout the kingdom. Some of the places of worship, such as this one, are almost as old as the religion itself. All photos: Saudi Press Agency

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  Announced in 2018, a project in Saudi Arabia has been tasked with restoring 130 historical mosques across the kingdom.

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  The five are all in the Makkah region and have fallen into disrepair.

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  Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began the project in 2018.

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  Makkah and the region around it are among the holiest sites in Islam.

Five mosques in Saudi Arabia, including several that date back to the foundation of Islam, are to be renovated in a project to safeguard the kingdom's heritage.

Saudi engineers will pick through original features and seek to safeguard the cultural significance of each.

The move is part of the broader project by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Announced in 2018, work has been under way to restore 130 mosques across Saudi Arabia.

During its first phase, 30 were renovated at a cost of nearly 50 million riyals ($13.3m).

Phase two this year covers 30 more, including five of special significance in Makkah, Saudi Press Agency reported.

First to be renovated is Al Bay'ah Mosque that was built at the request of Caliph Abu Jaafar Al Mansur in 144 AH, which was 761AD in the Gregorian calendar.

It was constructed at the site where Prophet Mohammed met with his supporters and they took the pledge, which means bay’ah’ in Arabic.

Located below the Wadi Mina, the mosque’s unique architectural features were unearthed 16 years ago during the expansion project of the Jamrat Al Aqaba, the site where devil stoning ritual is performed during pilgrimage.

Occupying an estimated area of 457.5 square metres, the mosque can accommodate just 68 worshippers.

Renovations will also include Al Khidr Mosque, which is located about 66km from Makkah's Grand Mosque and dates back to more than 700 years. It accommodates about 355 worshippers.

It is said that the mosque was named because Al Khidr who was mentioned in the Quran as the man taught divine knowledge that Allah only grants to his righteous servants, was the first person to step foot in the site.

Surah Al Kahf in the Quran describes how Al Khidr was sought after by Prophet Moses who wanted to learn from him.

Other narratives say a man who lived in the area centuries ago and was carrying a similar name built the mosque and gave it his name.

Al Fath Mosque, which was built after the conquest (meaning Fath in Arabic) of Muslims in the Battle of the Trench (Al Ahzab), will be restored and expanded.

It was named after Prophet Mohammed prayed in that spot during the battle that took place in the fifth hijri year — 627 AD.

The area of the mosque, which was subject to neglect, will be increased from 455.7 square metres to 553.5 square metres to accommodate 333 worshippers.

The area of 300-year old Al Jubail mosque in the Saudi city of Taif will also be upsized to 310 square metres.

Two more mosques in Jeddah, including Abu Anaba Mosque in Harat Alsham, in historic Jeddah, will be restored.

Stories say the site was a "grape pergola” before a man named Othman Zaki Omar transformed it into a mosque nearly 900 years ago.