Quba Masjid, Islam's first mosque in Madina, to see massive expansion

Riyadh: Quba Mosque, the first mosque the Prophet Muhammed built in Madina, will see a massive expansion with the Saudi crown prince's envisaged plan to increase the capacity to accommodate 66,000 worshippers.

The expansion plan, which is said to be the largest in the history, will also see the mosque is spread on 50,000 square meters. The project, named after the Saudi monarch King Salman, will highlight Quba Mosque's religious importance while preserving its architectural style, as well as monuments located near the mosque.

Quba Mosque was the first mosque in the history of Islam, and the first mosque built in Madinah, located 5 kilometers south of the Prophet's Mosque and was built in the year 1 A.H (622 A.D).

Announcing the project, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the project enhances the efficiency of the landmark for visitors' devotional and cultural experience.

The project will aim to solve overcrowding and enhance the safety of worshippers, and the road system nearby will see a revamp to ease access to the mosque. A number of historical sites and prophetic monuments around the mosque will be preserved while keeping its cultural and historical importance intact.

As many as 57 sites, including wells, farms and orchards, are to be developed or rehabilitated as part of the project.

The crown prince commended the king's care for the historic mosque, and said the project sets out to achieve the goals and objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030. During his visit to Madinah, Prince Mohammed prayed at the Prophet's Mosque.