Modelling of the Prophet Mosque in Virtual Reality

Modernization and urban development have destroyed the original image of some architectural heritage. One example is the Prophet Mosque in Madinah, where, in its current state, has been through many modifications and expansion from the original form that is built by the prophet. As the original form of the mosque presents a significant historic origin and the culture surrounding that era, this project presents an approach to preserve the original form of this heritage using 3D imagery - particularly virtual reality in disseminating its archaeological, historical facts and heritage awareness for the global community. Firstly, we give an over-view of the data acquisition and the 3D reconstruction process of this heritage. Then we present the process of transferring the model into a virtual reality environment for real time navigation experience using a VR headset. This immersive experience for understanding and adding knowledge on the history of this important heritage is the main the contribution of this research and the model itself in 3D form can later be used by other scholars, researchers and many more for academic and/or public purposes.