The King Saud Mosque, Jeddah

29 Jul

These shots were taken on a visit to Saudia Arabia in March 2023. I could see the Mosque from the hotel I was staying in so decided to walk down the street and take a look around. The Mosque was designed by the esteemed Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil who designed over 15 mosques in Saudi Arabia and is considered by many as the foremost contemporary authority in Islamic architecture. The mosque was modelled on the Sultan Hasan Mosque in Cairo and was completed in 1987.

The main prayer hall is enormous and is protected from the direct glare of the sun by a series of sun shades which create a dappled light effect. As I took photos, the mosque began to fill up for one of the five prayers that take place over the course of a day.

These photos were shot on a Leica SL2-S using a Leica Vario-Elmarit 27-70mm f2.8 lens.

The King Saud Mosque is the largest mosque in the city of Jeddah and is located in the Al-Sharafeyyah District

Ceiling details at the entrance to the mosque

In Islam, prostrations are used to praise, glorify and humble oneself in front God. They are a vital part of the five obligatory prayers performed daily.