[Fahmy Moemen Bey]. Architectural plans of the Prophet's Holy Mosque.

€ 65.000,00

A dozen architectural plans for the first Saudi extension to the Prophet’s Holy Mosque in Medina between 1951 and 1955. The set ranges from floor plans and elevations at a scale of 1:200 to detailed 1:20 sections of reinforced columns. Among the most remarkable examples are an elevation of the western front of the mosque featuring three identical minarets, not actually realised as such, each standing nearly 90 metres tall, a huge cross-section of a minaret (the largest of the plans), as well as an impressive ground plan depicting the western, eastern, northern and southern corridors, eight gates and six minarets, the entire surface dotted with pillars. Further, the set includes seven horizontal plans specifying the weight resting on the foundations of various parts of the the building at a scale of 1:100, giving an idea of the structural engineering required to safely realise such an enormous complex. Mimeographed by Losako Engineering Co. for distribution among designers and contractors, each plan bearing the stamp of Losako Engineering on the reverse.

The origins of Islamic architecture began in Medina with the construction of the first mosque on the site by the Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE. The expansion and rebuilding of the site, to which the current collection relates, was the first major Saudi development to the Prophet’s mosque and the most important architectural commission of King Abdulaziz al-Saud's reign. The designs of Fahmy Moemen Bey have become the basis for all subsequent architectural work carried out on the Prophet’s Mosque. Around the year 1950 a decision was made to expand the mosque to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims that were visiting Medina. King Abdulaziz commissioned reports, and architects were invited to submit designs. The winning plans were by Fahmy Moemen Bey, who was appointed chief architect. The King also appointed Mohammed Binladin as the building contractor who had established a company within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1931. Binladin's company, now the Saudi Binladin Group, has been responsible for all subsequent building work on the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, as well as other major projects in the Middle East, notably in Mecca and Jerusalem. The expansion project was announced in 1951 with a proclamation by King Abdulaziz during Ramadan; later that year the buildings surrounding the Haram were demolished, and in November 1952 the foundation stone was laid. The construction work took five years and continued after the death of King Abdul Aziz in 1953 under the direction of King Saud ibn Abdulaziz. The work was completed and the mosque re-opened in 1955. The extension almost tripled the size of the building, adding an additional eleven thousand square metres and enabling the mosque to accommodate up to 28,000 worshippers. New wings were added to the east and west of the prayer hall, which consisted of concrete columns with pointed arches. Older columns were reinforced with concrete and braced with copper rings at the top. The Suleymaniyyah and Majidiyyah minarets were replaced by two minarets in the Mamluk revival style. Two additional minarets were erected at the northeast and northwest corners of the mosque, and a library was built along the western wall to house historic Qur'ans and other religious texts.

This portfolio presents a rare opportunity to acquire a series of documents directly linked to the history of the second holiest site of Islam. It is a rare survival that tells of the irreversible changes that affected this historic place during the 20th century. The haram is a place in constant evolution, with a mission to host hundreds of millions of visiting pilgrims; its current state is already much changed from that produced by King Abdulaziz's restoration in the early 1950s.