Sunday, 18 February 2007

MAKKAH: Massive expansion and renovation work began at the Grand Mosque in Makkah last week.

The expansion work is the largest in the last two decades. Widening the Al-Mas'a area is thought to be the most impressive job under construction. Over the years, this area has witnessed heavy congestion during the holy month of Ramadan and Haj, when thousands of Muslims perform Sa'i between Mount Safa and Mount Marwa as part of the Umrah and Haj rituals.

During the holy month of Ramadan and Haj, about 3 million Muslims from all over the world throng the Grand Mosque to pray and perform Umrah. Their number is increasing yearly, making the expansion of the Al-Mas'a area a necessity.

An engineer working at the site told The Saudi Gazette the structure under construction will be 20 meters wide toward the eastern side of the present Al-Mas'a area.

After work at the Al-Mas'a area is completed, the new path will be used by pilgrims to walk from Mount Safa, where pilgrims begin their Sa'i, to Mount Marwa. The present path shall be used by pilgrims to walk the opposite direction.

"The project will be completed before the Holy Month of Ramadan," the engineer said.

Saudi Binladin Group has signed a contract for the maintenance and expansion work at the Grand Mosque.

Three bulldozers were seen dismantling the old wall and digging the ground for the foundation work at the construction site.

Passage from the eastern gates Al-Salama, Al-Nabi, Al-Abbas and Bani Hashim, as well as other gates has been closed for construction. The Marwa gate, at the end of the Al-Mas'a Area, is the only one left open for pilgrims' entry and exit.

The police office dealing with lost and found material, located outside the other end of the Al-Mas'a area, is also closed while the work is under progress.

Once the expansion of the Al-Mas'a area is completed, the zone's capacity to accommodate pilgrims will be increased by about 200 percent.

Last year, the expansion of the Mataf (circumambulation) area increased its capacity by more than 100 percent.

The renovation and expansion work will also include the construction of 14-meter wide stairs between Al-Mas'a and the Al-Qararah escalators to make pilgrims' movement easier.

Many pathways in the northern courtyard of the Grand Mosque to be used by people with special needs, the elderly and sick, are being renovated.

More than 113 brass shelves for keeping the Holy Qur'an are being installed on the columns of the ground and first floors.

Additionally, the Grand Mosques' eight minarets are being renovated and will be illuminated with electric bulbs.

Under the present renovation projects, the entrance to the escalators leading to the bus parking area in the western courtyard, is also being extended.

As announced earlier by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, other futuristic projects will be implemented by the Presidency. They include a project for cooling those areas which don't have air conditioning at the Grand Mosque and the construction of a training and managerial development building.

By Sikandar Zulqarnine

© The Saudi Gazette 2007