SAUDI ARABIA-AL-SHAF'I MOSQUE Historic mosque reopens to the public in Jeddah

Record ID: 149082

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA-AL-SHAF'I MOSQUE Historic mosque reopens to the public in Jeddah
  • Date: 30th June 2015
  • Summary: BANNER (English and Arabic) THAT READS: "CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF AL SHAF'I MOSQUE" AND "WITH ROYAL DONATION OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES" VARIOUS OF BANNERS AND EXHIBITION IN FRONT OF THE MOSQUE
  • Embargoed: 15th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3ZRTXFAO15421H38Q6G30QBWQ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In Jeddah's old city, worshippers can pray again in one of the oldest mosques in the city.
    After three years of restoration work, the mosque was reopened to the public on June 16.
    A photo exhibition documenting the renovation is also now open for visitors so they can see the timeline of the project.
    Al Shaf'i mosque is one of the most important landmarks in Saudi Arabia, said Hani Abu Ras, Jeddah's mayor.
    "The old mosque, which is also known as Al-Shaf'i mosque, is one of the most important historic mosques in old Jeddah and in Saudi Arabia. (Historical) sources indicate that the mosque was established during the reign of the second Caliph, Omar bin Al Khatab. According to related sources, the first major construction of the mosque was conducted during in the reign of Sultan Muzafar Shams Al Deen Yosif," Abu Ras said.
    He added that the restoration work, was supported by Jeddah's municipality and other governmental bodies.
    "The restoration work in the mosque were carried out by Al Turathiya company, under the technical supervision of Jeddah Municipality, which provided all specialist technical support in collaboration with Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiques (SCTA) and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawa, and Guidance," he said.
    The work at the Al Shaf'i mosque was carried out alongside restoration work at another historic Jeddah mosque, Al Memar mosque, and Local media reports suggest that 7 million Saudi riyals, the equivalent of more than 1.8 million U.S dollars were allocated for the renovation projects.
    The mosque was initially built with mud, stone bricks, and wood.
    It was named after Imam Mohammed bin Edriss Al Shaf'i, on of the four famous scholars of Sunni theology.
    The minaret of the mosque is estimated to date back to the 13th century and it overlooks one of the oldest parts of the Red Sea city, Al Mazloom, where the mosque is located.
    Saudi Arabia's sprawling Red Sea port city of Jeddah with its centuries-old buildings tilt and buckle above the historic district's narrow alleys was added in 2014 to UNESCO's World Heritage List.
    The seventh-century historic district, with its mud and coral town houses adorned with ornate wooden balconies, holds the only remnants of the traditional architecture of the Hijaz, as the western Arabian Peninsula is known.
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