When hundreds of militants turned the holiest site in Islam into a battlefield

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: On November 20, 1979, hundreds of armed insurgents seized the Great Mosque of Mecca, holding the site for two weeks. Led by Juhayman al-Otaybi, the group declared their companion the Mahdi, an Islamic messianic figure, and demanded an uprising against the Saudi monarchy, triggering a bloody, global crisis.

The seizure of the Great Mosque of Mecca began on the first day of the year 1400 in the Islamic calendar, a date significant to the tradition of the mujaddid, a figure expected to appear at the turn of each century to purify the faith. Juhayman al-Otaybi, a former corporal in the Saudi National Guard, led the insurgents, who identified themselves as the Ikhwan. They denounced the Saudi royal family for perceived impiety, corruption, and Western influence, while claiming that Juhayman’s brother-in-law, Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Qahtani, was the prophesied redeemer.

The militants occupied the mosque, taking worshippers hostage and creating a standoff that forced the Saudi government to seek a religious ruling to permit the use of force within the sacred site. The conflict required international assistance, including support from French advisors who provided specialized gas to help Saudi troops breach the mosque. The siege ended in December 1979 after a violent battle that resulted in the death of al-Qahtani and the capture of Juhayman and his followers. In the aftermath, 68 militants were publicly executed.

The event had profound consequences for Saudi society. King Khalid bin Abdulaziz responded by empowering the ulama and enforcing a more rigid interpretation of Islamic law, while the religious police became increasingly assertive. The seizure also occurred against the backdrop of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the ensuing chaos fueled anti-American sentiment across the Muslim world after Iranian cleric Ruhollah Khomeini falsely accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the attack. The rebellion remains a pivotal moment that reshaped the kingdom's internal religious and political landscape.

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