Mecca's sacred mosque is undergoing renovation. Photo by Marwène Grira.

The mosque at Mecca, which is the largest in the world, is currently under renovation. According to the Saudi authorities, the mosque needs to be expanded to accommodate larger numbers of Muslim pilgrims. However, the destruction of ancient parts of the mosque by the Bin Laden family company is stirring up resentment in Saudi Arabia.

The ongoing construction is the sixth renovation undergone by the mosque since the Al Saoud family came into power in the 18th century, and it is also the most ambitious one to date. In order to increase the mosque’s surface area, the Bin Laden construction conglomerate , which was hired to carry out the renovations, plans to tear down ancient Ottoman-style galleries and rebuild “identical” galleries further away, according to an officer for the Saudi institute in charge of pilgrim affairs. These galleries, which were built in the 16th century, include columns that date back to the 8th century.

Construction cranes tower above the Ottaman galeries slated for destruction. Photo by Hatoon Al Fassi.

The news of this destruction has caused outrage in Saudi Arabia, and many Saudis have vented online about the destruction of their historical and cultural heritage.

A Saudi Arabian Twitter user writes: "In Europe and in developed countries, people preserve their historical sites, while here, we bury them #ottaman_galeries"



The mosque in Mecca is Islam’s most important spiritual site. Devout Muslims travel to the sacred mosque as a pilgrimage. This pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam.