How a humble palm-trunk structure became a monumental feat of modern engineering

Design · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Prophet's Mosque in Medina began in 622 as a simple, open-air building constructed from mud and palm trunks. Over fourteen centuries, it evolved through successive expansions by caliphs, sultans, and kings into a sprawling, climate-controlled sanctuary featuring retractable roofs and massive, electrically operated umbrellas to shade millions of worshippers.

Originally built by Muhammad on land purchased from two orphans, the mosque served as a community center, court, and school. Its early architecture was modest, with a roof of beaten clay supported by palm trunks. The site’s transformation began in earnest under the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I, who commissioned the first monumental expansion between 706 and 707. This project introduced the first concave mihrab in Islamic architecture and potentially the first minarets, signaling a shift toward the grand, decorated aesthetic that would define the site for centuries.

The mosque’s evolution reflects the shifting political landscape of the Islamic world. Successive rulers, from the Abbasids to the Mamluks and Ottomans, left their mark through structural additions and decorative flourishes. Notable features like the Green Dome, which shelters the tomb of Muhammad, underwent multiple reconstructions, evolving from a wooden structure in 1279 to the iconic green-painted brick dome established in 1837. These layers of history were often contested; for instance, the Wahhabi movement in the early 19th century demolished many surrounding tombs, viewing them as contrary to their interpretation of tawhid.

Modern Saudi expansions have dramatically scaled the mosque’s capacity and technological sophistication. Beginning in 1985, King Fahd’s project added six minarets and 27 courtyards equipped with movable domes. Today, the mosque incorporates advanced infrastructure, including underground parking and a massive network of 250 retractable umbrellas installed in 2010 to mitigate the intense desert heat. Designed by architect Mahmoud Bodo Rasch, these innovations allow the mosque to function as a modern, climate-controlled space while maintaining its status as a central site of pilgrimage.

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