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Masjid al-Qiblatayn

Masjid al-Qiblatayn

Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil

Photo: Aiman titi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Medina, Saudi Arabia
Client / Owner
King Fahd
Year
Completed 1987
Access
Public
Typology
Spiritual
Style
Islamic

Tradition dates the original mosque to 2 AH, given as 623 or 624 CE, built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab. It is one of two mosques in the world with two mihrabs facing different directions. Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab maintained it, and Suleiman the Magnificent made the last pre-modern renovation.

In 1987 King Fahd had it completely demolished and rebuilt with enlarged prayer areas, new domes and new minarets. The infobox lists Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil as architect, though the body text does not name him. The prayer hall has barrel vaults parallel to the qibla wall, twin domes and twin minarets. A false second dome joined by a cross-vault symbolizes the change of qibla.

The Jerusalem-facing mihrab was removed in 1987, and a small marker mihrab, a replica of one in the Dome of the Rock, sits beneath the false dome. The infobox gives a capacity of 2,000, and expansion to 3,000 is underway. The article gives no dimensions.

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