The Island Mosque was designed by Egyptian architect Abdel Wahed El-Wakil and was conceived as a sculptural element accentuating the Jeddah landscape - the architectural equivalent of the city’s sculptures. At the same time it provides a place of worship in a part of the city that had not yet been served by a mosque. A small island was created on the edge of the coral reef just off the Corniche; the narrow path leading across the water thus becomes a symbolic journey of pilgrimage.
Abdel Wahed El-Wakil is an Egyptian architect who designed over 15 mosques in Saudi Arabia and is considered by many as the foremost contemporary authority in Islamic architecture. For designing in traditional styles, he is also a representative of New Classical Architecture.
