Ajyad fortress
| Ajyad fortress | ||
|---|---|---|
 Adschyad fortress above Bulbul Hill on the left in the background of the Kaaba, 1889 |
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| Alternative name (s): | Ecyad Kalesi (Turkish) | |
| Creation time : | 1777 | |
| Conservation status: | Destroyed in 2002 | |
| Place: | Bulbul Hill | |
| Geographical location | 21 ° 25 '8 " N , 39 ° 49' 35" E | |
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The Ajyad Fortress ( Arabic قلعة أجياد, DMG Qalʿat Aǧyād ; Turkish Ecyad Kalesi ) was a historic Ottoman citadel that stood on a hill above the Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia . Erected in the late 18th century, it was demolished by the Saudi government in 2002 for the commercial construction of the Mecca Royal Clock Tower Hotel , which aroused worldwide criticism.
history
The Adschyad fortress was built by the Ottomans in 1777 (according to other sources 1780 and 1781 respectively) to protect the Kaaba and the Islamic shrines in Mecca from bandits and intruders. The fortress covered around 23,000 m² of the historic Bulbul Hill (a rock spur of the Jebel Kuda), which oversees the al-Haram mosque from the south.
In the spring of 2002, Adschyad Fortress was demolished and most of Bulbul Hill leveled to clear the area for the $ 533 million Abraj Al Bait Towers project . Opened in 2012, the complex consists of several high-rise apartments, a five-star hotel in the twin tower, restaurants and a shopping center, built by the Saudi Binladin Group.
Reactions to the destruction
The destruction of the historic building led to protests both domestically and abroad. The Turkish Foreign Minister İsmail Cem İpekçi and other institutions tried to prevent the demolition. The representative of the ruling Democratic Left Party (DSP) Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu even proposed a boycott of trips to Saudi Arabia. The Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism condemned the destruction of the fortress, compared the act with the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan and accused the Saudi authorities of "continuing their policy of wanton destruction of Ottoman heritage ."
The French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the Saudi Minister for Islamic Affairs Saleh al-Sheikh as saying, "Nobody has the right to interfere in what is under the authority of the state." Regarding the plans Regarding the construction of real estate, al-Sheikh said that he intended to host the pilgrims to Mecca , adding, "This is in the interests of Muslims around the world."
However, the destruction of these and other historical sites led to criticism of the Saudi system, and plans were drawn up to rebuild the castle, as originally ordered by the king in 2001:
“ King Fahd gave his approval for the King Abdul Aziz Endowment for the Holy Ḥaram and for the preparation of the project site by removing the hill and the castle. The king has instructed that the castle should be fully preserved through reconstruction. "
A 1:25 scale model stands together with other architectural models in the Miniaturk miniature park in Istanbul .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Article of Arab News on 9 January 2002
- ↑ a b Article by Arab News, December 26, 2001
- ↑ a b Simon Wheelan: Saudi government demolishes historic Ottoman castle , World Socialist Web Site. January 28, 2002. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved on April 2, 2008.
- ↑ Mekah residents claim their needs being ignored ( Memento from February 7, 2009 in the web archive archive.today )
- ^ Abraj Al Bait: a city within a city. (No longer available online.) Qatar Construction Sites Newspaper, formerly original ; accessed on August 12, 2019 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ^ Sherrie Gossett: Mecca Conference Criticized for Hypocrisy on Holy Site Destruction . In: crosswalk.com . Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
- ↑ Article on People's Daily Online
- ↑ Cumhuriyet article
- ^ Jason Palmer: Destroying Ottoman castle to build hotel is 'cultural massacre' . In: The Independent , January 9, 2002. Retrieved April 9, 2008.
- ^ Turkish Ministry of Culture Announcement, Retrieved March 28, 2008
- ↑ Holy site expansion to preserve historic Ajyad Fort. Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia at Washington DC website, January 9, 2002, archived from the original on October 31, 2005 ; accessed on August 12, 2019 .
- ↑ Description and picture. of the model on the Miniaturk website. Retrieved August 12, 2019 .