Grand Mosque seizure
Videos
The Grand Mosque seizure took place between 20 November and 4 December 1979 at the Grand Mosque of Mecca in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest site in Islam. The attack was carried out by up to 600 mili
Saudi soldiers pushing into the underground corridor of the Grand Mosque of Mecca after gassing the interior with a non-lethal chemical agent provided by French specialists.
Smoke rising from the Grand Mosque during the assault on the Marwa-Safa gallery, 1979.
Surviving insurgents in custody of Saudi authorities, 1979.
Surviving insurgents in custody of Saudi authorities, 1979.
Khalid of Saudi Arabia
Videos
Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 25 March 1975 until his death in 1982. Before his ascension, he was Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Khalid was the sixth son
Grand Mosque seizure
…claimed in a radio broadcast that the Grand Mosque seizure had been orchestrated by the United States and Israel. Following the attack, Saudi king Khalid bin Abdulaziz enforced a stricter system of Islamic law throughout the country and also gave the ulama more power over the next decade. Likewise, Saudi Arabia's…
Formal portrait, 1977
Prince Khalid (right) and Prince Faisal visiting the United States in 1943
King Khalid and Crown Prince Fahd at a ceremony
King Khalid in 1979