About the Project

For the past few years, I have photographed mosques and prayer spaces across northwestern Saudi Arabia, where I was based. These range from small towns and worker settlements to roadside structures and isolated sites deep in the desert. In a region where prayer is central to daily life, distances are vast and population density is low, making these spaces essential. Many were built by local communities or migrant workers using their own means, often without formal state approval. Some are part of family homes and have served generations, while others stand alone along remote highways.

As Saudi Arabia undergoes rapid urbanization, many of these modest prayer spaces are being dismantled. This project documents them at a moment of transition, reflecting on how development reshapes not only the physical landscape but also the everyday practices of faith and community rooted within it. At its core, the work explores cultural memory as something deeply tied to place and profoundly fragile.