Ajyad Fortress
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Ajyad Fortress
The Ajyad Fortress (Turkish: Ecyad Kalesi) was an Ottoman fort built in Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia, in the late 18th century. It was destroyed by the Saudi government in 2002 for commercial development, sparking global outcry.
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History
In 1781 (or 1777 or 1780, according to some sources), the fortress was built in order to protect the Kaaba and Islamic shrines in Mecca from invaders. The fort covered some 23,000 m2 (250,000 sq ft) on Bulbul Mountain[1] (a spur of Jebel Kuda) overlooking the Masjid al-Haram from the south.
Ajyad Fortress was demolished and most of Bulbul Mountain levelled[2] by the Saudi government in 2002 to make space for the $533 million construction project[3] Abraj Al Bait Towers.[4] The 11 high-rise towers will consist of apartments, a twin-tower five-star hotel, restaurants, and a shopping centre, all to be built by the Saudi Binladin Group.[5]
Reactions
The destruction of the historic structure stirred both domestic and international protest.[6] The Turkish Foreign Minister İsmail Cem İpekçi and other institutions tried to prevent the demolition.[7] The Turkish Democratic Left Party (DSP) Deputy Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu even suggested a boycott on travelling to Saudi Arabia.[8] The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism condemned the obliteration of the fortress, comparing the act to the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan, and accusing the Saudi authorities of "continuing with their policy of demolishing Ottoman heritages." [9][10]
The French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Saudi Islamic affairs Minister Saleh al-Shaikh as saying "no-one has the right to interfere in what comes under the state's authority". In reference to the housing component of the plan, al-Sheikh added that it was intended to house pilgrims to Mecca, and said "this is in the interest of Muslims all over the world".[3]
However, the destruction of this and other historic sites fuelled criticism of the Saudis, plans were made to rebuild the castle, as ordered by the King in 2001:[2][11]
King Fahd has given his approval for the King Abdul Aziz Endowment for the Holy Haram and for the preparation of the project site by removing the hill and the castle. The king instructed that the castle should be preserved in full by rebuilding it," the minister said in a statement.
A 1/25 scale model of the fortress is included along with other architectural models at the Miniatürk miniature park in Istanbul, Turkey.[12]
See also
References
- ^ Article from the Arab News of 9th January 2002
- ^ a b Article in the Arab News of 26th December 2001
- ^ a b Wheelan, Simon (2002-01-28). "Saudi government demolishes historic Ottoman castle". World Socialist Web Site. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/jan2002/fort-j28.shtml. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
- ^ Article from the Brunei Times by Pakinam Amer from Sunday, April 15, 2007, naming the demolished fortress and the new building in the same sentence
- ^ "Abraj Al Bait: a city within a city". Qatar Construction Sites Newspaper. http://www.qc-sites.com/read.aspx?id=162&sid=2. Retrieved 2008-04-09.[dead link]
- ^ Gossett, Sherrie. "Mecca Conference Criticized for Hypocrisy on Holy Site Destruction". crosswalk.com. http://www.crosswalk.com/1370691/. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Article on People's Daily Online
- ^ Cumhuriyet article
- ^ Palmer, Jason (2002-01-09). "Destroying Ottoman castle to build hotel is 'cultural massacre'". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/destroying-ottoman--castle-to-build-hotel-is-cultural-massacre-662582.html. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ Turkish Ministry of Culture Announcement Retrieved 03-28-2008
- ^ "Holy site expansion to preserve historic Ajyad Fort". Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia at Washington D.C. Website. 2002-01-09. http://www.saudiembassy.net/2002News/News/CulDetail.asp?cIndex=965. Retrieved 2008-04-09.[dead link]
- ^ Description and picture of the model on the Miniatürk website.
Coordinates: 21°25′08″N 39°49′35″E / 21.41889°N 39.82639°E
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