QM to restore 6 heritage mosques

With a view to giving a facelift to old mosques and preserving heritage, the Qatar Museums (QM) has chalked out a plan to restore six such mosques across the country.
As per the plan, Al Zeghain mosque, Al Suwaihiliya and Umm Al Qahab along with Simsimah Mosque at Al Kaaban City, Faisal Bin Thani Mosque at Al Ghuwairiya and Muawiyah Bin Ayyad Mosque at Al-Jamiliyah will be restored through preservation works. The restoration of the heritage mosques comes within QM’s vision for archaeological sites to become sources of inspiration for future generations to explore Qatar's past and learn about its history.
Cultural Heritage Conservation director Adel Abdullatif al-Moslamani told local Arabic daily Arrayah that QM has reached an agreement with Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) to restore the mosques. Al-Moslamani noted that QM has determined the technical conditions and working process for the restoration operations while preparing the engineering plans. Awqaf will allocate the fund that will be delivered next year.
Al-Moslamani said comprehensive periodic maintenance work will be carried out for Al Youssef Mosque at Old Salata. Numbered 130, the mosque is one of the oldest in the country and it has a distinctive architectural character with a cylindrical minaret. Due to its deteriorating condition and the precipitation of the outer layer as a result of humidity and weather factors and the presence of dense trees, a plan has been drawn up for its maintenance while cleaning the site and removing trees in cooperation with Doha Municipality.
QM is renovating mosques at residential areas as a destination for worshipers. This is with the aim of preserving its historical identity and to be a witness of the past while providing present and future generations with an ideal edifice that tells about the country's history.
QM has listed 67 mosques as ancient. Al-Moslamani added that the department has plans for immediate restoration and maintenance of any historical mosque by a specialised team.
QM has employed experts under the supervision of Qatari specialists to give training courses for workers who carry out restoration work in archaeological buildings. The QM official said traditional materials are used in the restoration of mosques and archaeological buildings to maintain the importance and authenticity of the archaeological site.
He explained QM has preserved the architectural identity of many historical buildings across the country while preserving many old mosques.