The Courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque
The Prophet (may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him) built his mosque in the first year of Hijrah (622 CE), with an area of 1,030 square metres. In the seventh year of Hijrah, he expanded it to 2,475 square metres. Successive expansions of the Prophet’s Mosque followed during the reigns of the Prophet's rightly guided successors and the various Islamic dynasties, leading up to the present era, which has witnessed the largest expansion in the mosque’s history. The kings of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have successively contributed to its expansion, beginning with the founder, King 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn 'Abdil-Rahman Al Saud, (may Allah have mercy upon him).
During his reign (may Allah have mercy upon him) King 'Abdul-'Aziz Al Saud carried out an expansion in 1948, increasing the area of the Prophet’s Mosque to 16,327 square metres, along with numerous renovations and restorations. Subsequent Saudi expansions continued, bringing the mosque’s total area to 400,500 square metres today, accommodating approximately 707,000 worshippers.
The modern expansions have carefully preserved and restored the original structure to harmonise with the new construction. The mihrab has been renewed, all columns of the Rawdah and the old structure reinforced, and the buildings equipped with all necessary modern facilities and amenities.
The Courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque and Their Equipped Protective Shading Umbrellas
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdil-'Aziz (may Allah have mercy upon him) ordered the completion of the remaining work on the Prophet’s Mosque expansion project. This project included the installation of 68 additional shading umbrellas, adding to the existing 182, to cover all the external courtyards of the mosque. The project aims to provide shade for worshippers and visitors, protecting them from the sun’s glare and the potential risks of rainfall.
These shading umbrellas have been equipped with drainage systems for rainwater and integrated lighting. These shading umbrellas also open and close automatically and are designed at two different heights, with one rising above the other in an overlapping arrangement, aligning at a uniform height of over 21 metres when closed. In total, these shading umbrellas cover an area of 144,000 square metres.
These shading umbrellas have added elegance and beauty to the courtyards, complementing the atmosphere of spirituality and tranquility that defines them. They also provide more than 200,000 worshippers and visitors with the opportunity to perform their acts of worship at any time, day or night.