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JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal has announced restoration work on eight historic mosques located in various parts of Jeddah. In the first step, all the mosques will be opened for worship and prayers, according to a media report.
Prince Khaled, who is also chairman of the Tourism Development Council and chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Development of Historic Jeddah, launched the project in the presence of dignitaries, including Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH), and Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed.
So far 800 mosques have been surveyed in the Kingdom. Of this, 21 historic mosques in Riyadh, Asir, Eastern Province, Madinah, Jeddah and Yanbu have already been restored. Three of the mosques, Masjid Tabab in Asir, Masjid Jaoufa in Al-Ahsa and Masjid Al-Shafei in Jeddah, were opened last year. A program for the restoration of historic mosques under the (SCTNH) was also started in cooperation with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
The program for the care of historic mosques launched by the SCTNH in partnership with the Charitable Heritage Foundation is aimed at highlighting the historic and religious importance of these mosques. It also concentrates on spreading the message of the historic mosques for enlightening the lives of Muslims based on the principles of unity and brotherhood in society.
The agencies which are restoring the mosques made clear that the mosques are places of worship and not designed to attract tourists. The groups are taking care to implement international standards related to world heritage sites while working to restore historic mosques.