Fahmy Moemen Bey. The complete extant archive of original architectural plans and drawings for the first Saudi extension to The Prophet’s Holy Mosque in Medina, 1951-55, together with the architect’s personal collection of photographs documenting the building project, visits by royalty, heads of state and other distinguished visitors

52 architectural pen and ink drawings, plans and sketches, 14 signed by the architect, 43 on waxed linen and 9 on tracing paper, together with 2 printed scale maps of Medina and Mecca, and 215 vintage photographs, various sizes

The drawings range in size from 35 by 60cm. to 106 by 240cm. 

Fahmy Moemen Bey (1919-77); thence by descent

S. Damluji (editor). The Architecture of the Prophet's Holy Mosque: al Madinah, London, 1998

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

AN IMPORTANT AND UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL ARCHIVE OF DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PROPHET'S MOSQUE IN MEDINA. The origins of Islamic architecture began in Medina with the construction of the first mosque on the site by The Prophet Muhammad in 622 A.D. The expansion and rebuilding of the site, to which the current collection pertains, was the first major Saudi development to the Prophet’s mosque and was the most important architectural commission of King ‘Abdul-‘Aziz al-Saud's reign. In addition, the architectural designs of Fahmy Moemen Bey have become the basis for all subsequent architectural work to The Prophet’s Mosque.

The drawings range from an aerial survey of the city of Medina at a scale of 1:250 to detailed 1:1 scale drawings. These include the entrances and gates of the mosque, ceiling design, the columns and their decoration, the minarets, windows, lantern design, and brass work, together with sketches and working drawings.

"The Prophet’s Holy Mosque in the city of al Madinah al Munawwarah derives its name from the Noble Mosque of The Prophet, al Masjid al Nabawi al Sharif, constructed during the course of the establishment of Islam in Arabia. It became the foundation and a landmark of both Islam and the architecture termed, to this day, Islamic. The significance attached to this building, and indeed to the city itself, has been marked by the very history and events attached to its origins and subsequent development. Since the city of al Madinah was so close to the heart of The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, it became sacred to each Muslim, and hence to each Islamic dynasty since the inception of Islam throughout the last 15 centuries." (Damluji 1998)

Around the year 1950 a decision was made to expand the Prophet’s Mosque to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims that were visiting the city of Medina. King ‘Abdul-‘Aziz commissioned reports, and architects were invited to submit designs. The winning plans were by Fahmy Moemen Bey, who was appointed chief architect.

The king also appointed Mohammed Binladin as the building contractor who had established a company within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1931. Binladin's company, now the Saudi Binladin Group, has been responsible for all subsequent building work to the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, as well as other major projects in the Middle East, notably at Mecca and in Jerusalem.

The expansion project was announced in 1951 with a proclamation by King ‘Abdul-‘Aziz during Ramadan; later that year the buildings surrounding the Haram were demolished and in November 1952 the foundation stone was laid. The construction work took five years to complete and continued after the death of King Abdul Aziz in 1953 under the direction of King Saud Ibn ‘Abdul-‘Aziz. The work was completed and the mosque re-opened in 1955.

The extension almost tripled the size of the mosque, adding an additional eleven thousand square metres to the building and enabling the mosque to accommodate up to 28,000 worshippers. New wings were added to the east and west of the prayer hall, which consisted of concrete columns with pointed arches. Older columns were reinforced with concrete and braced with copper rings at the top. The Suleymaniyyah and Majidiyyah minarets were replaced by two minarets in Mamluk revival style. Two additional minarets were erected to the northeast and northwest corners of the mosque and a library was built along the western wall to house historic Qur'ans and other religious texts.

Fahmy Moemen Bey (1919-77) was born in Cairo, where his father was a judge. Moemen’s fascination with Islam and his love of contemporary art led him to study architecture at the University of Fine Arts in Cairo and later the Beaux Arts in Paris where he both practised and became a theorist in the fusion of Modernity and Islamic proportionality, which became a signature in his architectural design style. One of his greatest achievements was to introduce new methods and ideas of construction into traditional mosque architecture; at first it was considered unorthodox to experiment with mosque design, however Moemen’s vision assisted him in becoming the official designer for the extension of The Prophet’s Mosque, which was his finest and most celebrated work. Today Fahmy Moemen Bey’s architectural work and designs are part of the urban fabric of cities in Saudi Arabia, Syria and in his birthplace city of Cairo.

Moemen’s other work in Saudi Arabia includes a mosque and residence for pilgrims in Medina, the mosque at Medina Airport, the Al-Kheif mosque in Mina, the Riyadh Saffa Palace, and in Jeddah the Palace of King ‘Abdul-‘Aziz, the Welcoming Palace, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Moemen received numerous awards for his architecture throughout the Middle East, including prizes for the Al-Awqaf Hotel Hallab in Syria, the Memorial for War Victims at the University of Cairo, the Hal Residential buildings in Damascus, the Court of Justice in Beirut, the Agricultural Bank in Cairo, and the Institute of Technology in Hilwan, Egypt.