Jeddah’s King Saud Mosque by Egyptian Architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil

The King Saud Mosque - the largest in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - was conceived in 1987 by eminent Egyptian architect Abdel Wahed El-Wakil, a foremost authority in Islamic architecture. Presented as a pristine, sacred pearl, it is one of a dozen mosques El-Wakil designed across the kingdom in the 1980s, exemplifying his masterful synthesis of tradition and innovation.

El-Wakil’s mosques exhibit a profound continuity in their architectural language, unified by their exterior materials, load-bearing walls, vaults, and domes. They stand as iterative expressions. Revivalist structures. Each a reflection of his predecessor, the honoured architect Hassan Fathy, whose vernacular vision they echo with an influence that permeates their form and spirit.

The King Saud Mosque stands apart with its intricate layout and contextual integration. While its western side aligns with the qibla, the remaining three sides conform to the surrounding street grid, resulting in a subtle tilt in orientation when viewed from above. To reconcile the misalignment between the street grid and the qibla orientation, strategically positioned triangular volumes are introduced, elegantly accommodating ablution facilities, instructional spaces, storage areas, administrative offices and residential quarters.

Stepping through the main entrance, visitors are guided through a sequence of deliberate axial shifts, subtly realigning their orientation as they move deeper into the space. This deliberate procession unfolds into a vast central courtyard, the heart of the complex, where openness and symmetry set the stage for the grandeur beyond.

Encircling this courtyard is the monumental four-iwan prayer hall, spanning an impressive 5,000 square metres and meticulously aligned along an east-west axis. Its architectural rhythm is defined by soaring barrel-vaulted iwans, leading to a commanding central dome with a 20-metre span. Flanking this focal point, two symmetrically placed 12-metre domes provide balance, while a constellation of smaller 6-metre domes elegantly completes the vaulted expanse of the prayer hall.

From above, the mosque emerges as a vision of quiet grandeur, its pale sandy façade glowing under the sun. A procession of smaller domes marches in perfect cadence along the rooftop, their rhythmic presence evoking the measured chants of a sacred hymn. The larger domes, anchored by sturdy pendentive walls reminiscent of the Mamluk era, rise with effortless grace, their clerestory windows filtering light into the depths of the interior, casting a celestial glow.

The cascading geometry of the structure allows it to dissolve seamlessly into the city’s skyline, its volumes layered in harmonious succession. Each form flows effortlessly into the next, softened by beveled edges that lend a sense of fluidity. At its peak, crenelated parapets encircle the highest volumes, their sculpted silhouettes imparting both majesty and restraint - an architecture that speaks not through excess, but through the poetry of proportion and balance.

Photography Credit: Christopher Wilton-Steer