Mosques, Jiddah

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Although not evident from the attached photos, this modern mosque is built on stilts over the Red Sea, just off the Corniche of Jeddah. It thus became known as the Floating Mosque. Officiallly, however, it is called Fatima az-Zahra Mosque, after the daughter of the Prophet (although it might also be referred to as al-Rahma Mosque, i.e. "Mercy Mosque". The mosque is one of the most scenic in Jeddah for its position, among four mosques, on the Northern Jeddah Corniche. It is one of the most visited in Jeddah by pilgrims and tourists. (Construction of this mosque is said to have been funded by Saleh Kamel, one of the wealthiest businessmen in Jeddah).

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Named after the second Saudi King, this mosque is the largest in Jeddah and arguably its most beautiful. It was completed in 1987 by Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, the Egyptian architect responsible for designing countless stunning mosques in Jeddah and Medina (15 in total, actually). Royal funding for this mosque seems to have afforded the architect his most elaborate work in the city. For King Saud Mosque, he chose a Mamluke-revival style (albeit painted white), evident in its main entrance with a high half dome decorated with intricately carved stalactite muqarnas decorations, and in its octagonal minaret, both undoubtedly Mamluke. The interior, also, echoes the Mamluke Madrassa of Sultan Hassan in Cairo, with its four iwan porticoes overlooking a central courtyard. Although mainly seen in Cairo and Damascus, Mamluke-style is not unfamiliar to Jeddah, which was part of the Mamluke Sultanate of Egypt (c. 1250-1516), before the Ottoman Empire absorbed its lands.

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Overlooking the Red Sea (hence the name), Corniche Mosque was built in 1986 by the Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil. It is for this mosque that he won the 1989 Agha Khan Award for Architecture, which praised his simple but strong design. The architect also designed other mosques in Jeddah (Jaffali, King Saud Mosques and the nearby Island Mosque), and in Medina (Quba and Qiblatayn). When it was first built, the Corniche Mosque was entirely painted in white. At the time, all buildings in Jeddah had to be in a shade of white, but the ban on other colours has since been lifted, which allowed the dome to be painted blue.

Mohammed Farsi Mosque, sometimes referred to as Rewais Mosque, is yet another mosque in Jeddah designed by the Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil. This one was completed in 1989 and is recognisable by its red ochre colour and three domes. The architect is said to have been inspired by Nubian and Mamluke architecture in his design. It is named, and likely funded by, the former mayor of Jeddah, Mohammed Farsi, who is credited with planning and beautifying Jeddah in the 1970s, and for preserving the old city from destruction. It is located in the Rewais area on the Southern Corniche Road, west of el-Balad (Old Jeddah) and just north of the Central Fish Market.

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As its name indicates, Island Mosque is built on a tiny island just off the Northern Jeddah Corniche. It is one of four mosques built on or near the water in this part of the city. Because of its location jutting out to sea and its simple but stunning architecture, Island Mosque is perhaps Jeddah's most picturesque. That its design is similar to the Corniche Mosque is no coincidence: both were designed by the Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, who is responsible for several of Jeddah's most beautiful mosques. His Island Mosque was completed in 1988 and like all building in Jeddah at the time, was originally painted entirely white. Restriction on colour has since been lifted and Island Mosque subsequently received its peach and cream shades.

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One of Jeddah's most prominent mosques, the Hassan Enany Mosque is located in the Central Corniche area near Palestine Street. It was built in 1984 by the architect Raouf Helmi and commissioned by Hassan Enany, a local from Jeddah. The spacious mosque has the capacity for 1200 worshippers in an unusual prayer hall in an 8-pointed star plan. An octagonal golden dome covers the entire prayer hall.

Well in Saudi Arabia ...death penalty means ..you will beheaded not in private but in front of the public ( usually for murderers ) ....in this place as shown in the pic ..scary huh ...ya a few of my frens actually witness them ( back in Dammam, the area where i am staying ) ....

But one thing special about it is that ...the family of the victim can pardon the killer eventhough the the court had fixed the sentence ...even till the very very last minute ....like seconds before the Arabian Sword is raised ....

I just saw in the daily a week ago one man who accidentally killed his fren was only pardon just seconds before the sword landed on his head. Gosh he must be scared to death.

One thing i find very interesting is that when a death sentence is passed ...many parties actually approached the victims family to ask for forgiveness from religious leaders, village leader to sometimes government officials ( especially when it was a blatant accident ) ....after all if its always an eye for an eye , the whole world will be blind...

but sometimes it also involves compensation to the victims family ( a few months before the daily qouted a case where the manhas to give the victim's family Saudi Riyal 1.2million ( 1 USD = Riyal 3.75 ) plus a fancy car.

this unique airport terminal is only use during hajj time.
i love the building, the repetition of tent-like roof looks beautiful, too bad i didn't go inside.