Mecca’s collapsing crane was part of a criticised building boom

This is how the Saudi artist Ahmed Mater documented Mecca in his 2012 Desert of Pharan series. Over the past ten years there has been a huge building boom in the holy city, with dozens of cranes around its most sacred space, the Grand Mosque. It was one of these that collapsed onto it yesterday (11 September), killing at least 107 people and injuring many more. Saudi artists and young people have opposed the destruction of old Ottoman Mecca and what they see as materialistic speculation. The accident will certainly be damaging to the House of Saud, which rules by virtue of being Custodian of the Holy Places, Mecca and Medina.