Saudi Arabia, a Middle Eastern country, is the land of the holiest sites of Islam—Mecca and Medina. The country attracts lakhs of Muslims from across the world for Haj pilgrimage. While it is widely known that Islam despises idol worship, none has been as rabidly against idol worshipping as the Wahabis and the House of Saud. Over mere apprehension that certain Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia would encourage idol-worship, the Saudi government and Wahabis in the past have razed them and modified their usage.

Before delving into how historic structures have over the years been destroyed to prevent the promotion of ‘idol worship’, it is pertinent to learn about who the Wahabis are and about the House of Saud.

The Wahhabis are the most conservative sect of Sunni Islam. This fundamentalist branch of Islam called Wahabism was founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab in the 18th century. Wahabis strive to ‘return’ to the “pure” form of Islam as practised and propagated by Prophet Muhammad. Wahhabism emphasizes stringent monotheism and vehemently opposes practices like idol worship as it is shirk [sin], including the veneration of saints/sufis and the use of religious relics etc.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab had sought refuge in Diriyah, a small oasis town on the outskirts of modern-day Riyadh. Diriyah was ruled by its Chieftain Muhammad ibn Saud from the Al Saud. Saud not only gave refuge to Wahab after he was thrown out of Hejaz, the region that housed both Mecca and Medina but also signed a pact with him in 1744. This “Wahhabi-Saudi Pact” marked the beginning of the First Saudi state wherein Muhammad ibn Saud became the Emir while Wahab assumed the title of “Imam”.

To solidify the accord, Ibn Saud’s eldest son married al-Wahhab’s daughter and Al Saud publicly accepted Wahhabism. Wahab’s puritanical form of Islam passionately opposed religious innovation (bidaa) and pushed for the abolition of traditions such as Sufi ceremonies and saint veneration. During their conquest outside of Najd, they demolished several Shia shrines. The Wahabis employed the insult ‘Rafida’ (rejecters) to classify Shia, a practice that persists into the twenty-first century.

The radical ideology of Wahhabism has resulted in the systematic destruction of several Saudi heritage monuments. Wahhabis believed conserving these places would give rise to idol worship, which is forbidden under their understanding of Islam. Thus, many historical and religious structures have been razed to prohibit any form of worship or pilgrimage that contradicts their rigid monotheistic perspectives.

Destruction of the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali in Karbala

In the year 1802, Wahhabi forces led by Saud bin Abdul-Aziz attacked the city of Karbala which came under the Ottoman Empire’s rule. Karbala to this day remains a holy site for Shias. During the Diriyah campaign, Abdul-Aziz-led forces destroyed the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali killed thousands of Shia inhabitants and plundered the city. The Wahabis carried out this massacre of over two to five thousand Shias right ahead of the month of Muharram.

Although Karbala is in modern-day Iraq, the Wahabi-Saudi attack on this Shia-revered site gives an insight into the fanatic mindset of the Wahabis. The Wahabis deem rituals such as intercession [shafa’ah] which means pleading to Allah through a Muslim saint, erecting structures over graves, pilgrimages (ziyarah), and tawassul [means that can be used to gain nearness to Allah]to be signs of shirk [polytheism/idolatry] and strongly oppose them.

By 1806, the Wahabis captured the city of Medina and unleashed massive destruction of structures they feared would promote idolatry. The Wahabi forces razed all domes and structures within, and outside, of the Jannat-al Baqi cemetery. This was no ordinary cemetery but the first Islamic cemetery in Medina in Hejaz. They also destroyed the Mosque of Fatima al-Zahra, the Mosque of al-Manaratain, and Qubbat’ al-Thanaya among other structures of Islamic significance.

After the death of Tusun Pasha, the son of Egypt’s Wali Muhammad Ali Pasha who led Ottoman forces against the Emir of Diriyah, Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud in 1816, in 1818, the Ottoman caliphate led by Sultan Mahmoud II decided to crush the Wahabis. In this vein, Tusun Pasha’s son Ibrahim Pasha led his forces to Diriyah, inflicting a crushing defeat on the Wahabis and reclaiming Mecca and Medina. With this, the first Saud state rule came to an end. After this, the Ottomans grandly renovated the mosques. They also constructed a dome on the vandalised Baqi’ cemetery over the graves of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima al-Zahra, Zainul ‘Abidin (‘Ali bin al-Hussain), Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir and Ja’far al-Sadiq.

The architectural grandeur, however, did not last long as in 1924, the House of Saud regained control of the two Islamic holy cities—Mecca and Medina. The Wahabi Sauds undertook a second campaign against the Jannat ul Baqi cemetery and unleashed the destruction of graves, mosques, domes and other structures. With the permission of King Ibn Saud on 25 April 1925, Mausoleums, domes, and gravestones were destroyed by the Wahabi forces. The graves destroyed here included those of Prophet Muhammad’s mother Aminah, father Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib and other family members in addition to prominent Imams.

To this day, the Wahabi clerics justify the destruction of many such heritage sites saying that structures dedicated to the mortal beings diluted the worship of a single and unique Allah.

How ‘expansion’ projects have led to the destruction of several ancient structures in Mecca and Medina

Notably, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken four major expansion projects to accommodate more pilgrims arriving at the Grand Mosque. King Abdulaziz initiated the first such project in 1955 involving the construction of new floors, courtyards, and the installation of electric lights and fans., the second was launched by King Fahd in 1988 for adding new wings on the eastern and western sides, the construction of minarets, and the installation of escalators and air conditioning systems and other facilities.

In 2008, the Saudi government, led by King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz, approved the Grand Mosque’s expansion, which included the expropriation of 3,200,000 sq ft of land to the north and northwest of it. In 2011, King Abdullah’s government announced that under the “King Abdullah Expansion Project” worth $21 billion several new structures including minarets would be erected and the circumambulation (Mataf) area would be expanded to accommodate 2.5 million Haj pilgrims. Since then, numerous heritage sites have been demolished in the two holy cities.

Among the notable structures destroyed included the Ottoman portico, which was a significant architectural feature. This structure dates back to the 17th century and was renowned for its distinctive arches and columns. The destruction of the Ottoman portico sparked strong outrage in Turkey in 2013. Besides, Abbasid-era columns, also integral to the historical architecture of the mosque, were destroyed during the expansion.

Reports say that since 1985, 98% of the historical and Islamic heritage sites have been demolished with critics alleging that the Saudi government wants to “wipe out” history. A notable such site included the house of Hamza, the Prophet Muhammad’s uncle. This house was destroyed to make way for a hotel.

Similarly, the house of Prophet Muhammad’s wife Khadijah was demolished and 1400 public toilets were built at the site nearly a decade back. This is also confirmed by British historian Ziauddin Sardar in his book Mecca: The Sacred City.

“The complex stands on top of the bulldozed al-Ayad fort, built in 1781 and no longer able to perform its function of protecting Mecca from invaders. At the opposite end of the Grand Mosque Complex, as it is now called, the house of Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, has been turned into a block of toilets.2 The Royal Makkah Clock Tower is not the only building to hover above the Sacred Mosque. There is the Raffles Makkah Palace, a luxury hotel, with round-the-clock butler service. Add to that the Makkah Hilton, built over the house of Abu Bakr, the closest companion of the Prophet and the first caliph. Along with the Intercontinental Mecca, they all vie for prominence on the skyline. There are numerous other five-star hotels and high-rise apartment blocks,” Sardar wrote.

He further added, “Within the next decade, there will be a ring of 130 skyscrapers looking down upon the Sacred Mosque. There are spectacular plans to further redevelop the Sacred Mosque so that it can accommodate up to 5 million worshippers. With a seemingly casual disregard for history, the Saudis are rebuilding the Ottoman-era section of the Haram, the oldest surviving section of the Sacred Mosque. The interior, of exquisite beauty, with intricately carved marble columns, built by a succession of Ottoman sultans – Sultan Suleiman, Sultan Salim I, Sultan Murad III, and Sultan Murad IV from 1553 to 1629, will give way to a series of multi-storey prayer halls, eighty metres high.”

“The columns, which are adorned with calligraphy of the names of the Prophet’s companions, will be demolished. Indeed, the whole of the old Sacred Mosque will be bulldozed. History stretches back to Umar, the second caliph of Islam, ibn Zubair, who sacrificed his life to rebuild the Kaaba, and to the Abbasid caliphs, who will be replaced by an ultra-modern doughnut-shaped building. The new Jamarat Bridge will ultimately be twelve storeys high, so pilgrims will be able to ‘Stone the Devils’ on even more multiple levels. It seems only a matter of time before the house where Prophet Muhammad was born, located opposite the imposing Royal Palace, is razed to the ground, and turned, probably, into a car park,” Sardar wrote.

On the 13^th of August 2002, the 1,200-year-old mosque and tomb of Sayyid Imam al-Uraidhi ibn Ja’far al-Sadiq, the ninth in the line of Prophet Muhammad, located four kilometres from Masjid-e Nabawi in Medina, was destroyed by explosives and levelled.

In 2003, a historic Ottoman Ajyad Fortress that once protected Mecca from attack and dated back over 200 years was demolished, only to be rebuilt by a massive 601-meter Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. This clocktower is part of a complex built by the Bin Laden Group including five-storey shopping malls, luxury hotels, parking etc.

At that time, Turkey had sought UNESCO’s intervention to stop the Fortress’s destruction, however, UNESCO did not intervene.

Besides, several mountains have also been destroyed in the holy city to construct roads. In 2013,  the split in Mount Uhud, north of Medina was filled with concrete. Reports say that Prophet Muhammad was carried there after being wounded in the Battle of Uhud against the Quraysh in 625 AD.

In addition to this, the famous Hilton Hotel was built over the site where once the house of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, stood.

Dr Irfan al-Alawi, historian, founder and former executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation estimated that over 300 Islamic heritage sites have been demolished over the years as a part of the expansion projects.

“Six small mosques in Medina where Muhammad is believed to have prayed have been locked. The seventh, belonging to Islam’s first caliph Abu Bakr, has been razed to make way for an ATM,” a TIME Magazine report from 2014 reads.

Of the famed “Seven Mosques” originally established by Prophet Muhammad’s daughter and four of his “greatest Companions” five have been demolished namely: Masjid Abu Bakr, Masjid Salman al-Farsi, Masjid Umar ibn al-Khattab, Masjid Sayyida Fatima bint Rasulillah, and Masjid Ali ibn Abi Talib.

Interestingly, over 75 years ago, the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad was reportedly turned into a “cattle market” near Ka’ba. At present, his birthplace located at Suq al-Layl Street has been turned into a library named Makkah Al Mukarramah Library by the Saudi government.

UNESCO’s silence on Saudi government demolishing heritage sites

There are six UNESCO heritage sites in Saudi Arabia: The Gateway to Mecca and Medina, At-Turaif District in Diriyah, Rock Art of the Hail Region, Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madain Salih), Al Ahsa Oasis and Hima Cultural Area. While the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has been advocating for the preservation of heritage sites across the world, it has failed to advocate for the preservation of sites of cultural and religious significance.

Destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan and the similarities in the Taliban and Wahabi mindset

Back in March 2001, Afghanistan’s Taliban government demolished the Bamiyan Buddhas, two enormous statues carved into the cliffs of the Bamiyan Valley in the sixth century. Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban leader, ordered the destruction, declaring the monuments blasphemous and against Islamic principles since idols and statues are considered haram by the Taliban as well who are Sunni Muslims of the Deobandi (Hanafi) sect. Ignoring international outrage and condemnation, the Taliban destroyed the ancient statues, which were regarded as Buddhist treasures and part of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.

The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban is closely aligned with Wahabi (Salafi) extremist ideology, which advocates a strict and puritanical form of Islam. The Taliban’s demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas was a manifestation of this extremist ideology, echoing Wahhabi practices of destroying historical and religious monuments of non-Muslims as well as those of Islamic significance since they do not attach much importance to structures dedicated to mortals.

The Sauds historically have not been much interested in preserving the Islamic heritage sites since they believe such sites could promote idol worship or Shirk, Indian Sufis had in May this year urged the Saudi Arabian government to rebuild the destroyed Jannat al-Baqi cemetery in Medina. A meeting in this regard was held in Ajmer’s Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine. Unsurprisingly, however, the Saudi government did not respond to their appeal.