An artist's impressions of the new expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
JEDDAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone for a new expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Friday, it was announced on Tuesday.
The new project, covering 400,000 square meters, will create prayer space for an additional 1.2 million worshippers.
“The new project, named the King Abdullah Expansion, will be carried out using the most advanced mechanical and electrical systems,” said Muhammad Al-Khozaim, vice president of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Affairs. “Once completed, the new facility will be able to accommodate nearly 1.2 million worshippers,” he said.
The new expansion will also have basic facilities including modern garbage disposal systems and security monitoring systems. Sunshades will also be established on the northern courtyards of the mosque. The new annex will be linked with the existing mosque and masaa with a series of bridges. It will also provided with air conditioning systems and electric stairs.
Al-Khozaim disclosed plans to expand the mataf (the circumambulation areas around the Holy Kaaba) and provide air-conditioning for all parts of the Grand Mosque, adding that the two projects would be carried out shortly along with the new Haram expansion project.
Speaking about other projects implemented at the directives of King Abdullah, he said the newly expanded masaa (the running course between Safa and Marwa) could now accommodate 118,000 pilgrims per hour instead of 44,000.
He described the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Towers as one of the largest real estate projects in Makkah. It comprises six residential towers and a five-star hotel. The frontal towers are 28 stories high while the rear ones are 35 stories. Side towers are 45 stories while the hotel tower is 60 stories. The entire complex with 11,000 rooms and suites can accommodate 35,000 pilgrims.
Al-Khozaim commended the king for taking the initiative to implement a number of vital projects for the welfare of pilgrims. They include the Mashair Railway connecting Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, the Haramain Railway to link the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the Jamrat bridge complex, the Central Zone Development project, the King Abdul Aziz Road, new ring roads in addition to flood drainage projects in the holy sites.
The Jamrat Bridge project, which was carried out at a cost of SR4.5 billion, was instrumental in preventing stampedes during the stoning ritual. It is designed to accommodate 5 million pilgrims. The Mashair Railway will become fully operational before the upcoming Haj in November. The metro service will operate 17 trains with 12 coaches in each train. A train will carry 3,000 pilgrims.
After Asr prayers, thousands of citizens and residents of Madinah wheel food carts into the Prophet's Mosque to serve iftar meals to millions of worshippers who gather in the sprawling prayer complex during Ramadan. (AN photo by Yousuf Muhammad)
MADINAH: Serving iftar meals to help visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque break their fast is part of the rich tradition of the people of Madinah that dates back to the period of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
They lay out hundreds of thousands of iftar meals on sufras (plastic table spreads) to feed visitors to the mosque every evening throughout the holy month. These sufras, which make the longest dining table on the face of the earth, in a way reflect the immense hospitality of the people of Madinah.
Tasting this hospitality provides an inexplicable experience for almost all Umrah pilgrims and visitors who come from all over the world to visit the holy mosque during Ramadan.
Speaking to Arab News, a number of pilgrims shared their amazing experience of having an iftar meal at one of these sufras.
Khaled Hafeezuddin, a pilgrim from Bangladesh, says that his pilgrimage was the realization of a long cherished dream to perform Umrah and visit the two holy mosques.
“I worked hard for a long period of time to save the money to meet the cost of performing the pilgrimage in the holy month of Ramadan. It was a thrilling experience for me to watch the massive lines of iftar meals laid out inside the Prophet’s Mosque and its courtyards,” he said while praising the much commendable hospitality of the Madinah residents.
Muhammad Hamdi, an Egyptian pilgrim, also has no words to express his feelings about the vast facilities arranged for pilgrims at the holy mosque, especially during Ramadan.
“I thank Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his government for making available all these facilities and services for the pilgrims and visitors to the holy mosque.
The marvelous sunshades that blend architecturally into the design of the historic mosque are of a great help for pilgrims as they protect them from the scorching sun,” he said.
There are a total of 250 large sunshades, each of which covers an area of more than 600 square meters and offers up to 800 pilgrims protection from the sun and heat. These sunshades provide a shaded area of 156,000 square meters.
There are also 500 huge fans that sprinkle cold water to provide comfort to the faithful while the mercury is soaring.
Many pilgrims commended the hospitality of Madinah people who start laying out sufras immediately after the Asr prayers. The iftar meals consist of the finest varieties of Madinah dates, juices, water, yoghurt and fruits such as oranges and bananas. They said that it is quite amazing for them to watch locals of all ages, including children, young men and the elderly, compete with each other in serving the food.
The local residents make preparations well in advance before the advent of the fasting month so meals can be distributed without any disruption.
On the first day of Ramadan, they start preparations immediately after Dhuhr prayers and reserve space to spread out the sufras. There are specific areas that Madinah families have been using for decades to spread their sufras.
“I have been laying down my sufras at this spot for 10 years,” said Ali Juma, a Madinah resident. “On the first day of Ramadan, we all arrive to confirm the actual space for spreading out the sheets. If nobody else has occupied the place, then we continue using it throughout the month. If we do not arrive at the right time, it is taken by those who come early,” he said, adding that this practice of reserving space was done in coordination with the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
“We are also meeting some specific conditions set by the presidency with regard to organizing iftar meals,” he added.
Usually, the presidency allows only dates, water, yoghurt, coffee and Al-Shiraik bread inside the mosque while fruits and juices as well as dishes made of rice, meat and chicken are allowed in the courtyards of the mosque. The cost for iftar meals ranges from SR2,000 to SR5,000.
The hundreds of thousands of the faithful sitting along two sides of the sufras spread out inside the mosque as well as on the vast sprawling courtyards of the mosque provide an amazing view.
People of various backgrounds, including Arab and non-Arab, white and black, are sitting patiently in front of the sufras, reflecting the unique principles of Islam’s universal brotherhood, unity and hospitality. They enjoy the spirit of hospitality inherited by the people of Madinah from their ancestors by feeding hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors from various corners of the world.
The presidency has mobilized more than 5,000 men and women, including cleaning workers, to make available the best possible services for the pilgrims as well as to keep the holy mosque and its courtyards neat and tidy. It has also stocked more than 290 tons of Zamzam water to meet the demand during the holy month.
Selamat kembali. Mungkin masih penat ya. Kami bersabar tunggu gambar gambar t ...
aily Post at 19-8-2011 14:37
Waalaikumusalam Aily,
Alhamdullillah, rasa penat dan letih belum hilang sepenuhnya walaupun dah 4 hari berlalu, siang rasa mengantuk dan malam pulak tak boleh tidur...
Nampaknya belum berpeluanglah nak tengok gambar-gambar terbaru sebab akak dah tak ingat mcmana nak upload gambar, asyik tak menjadi je..
Akak sempat jumpa Mak Jah di Masjidil Haram dan sempat juga mengunjunginya di hotel penginapan beliau.
Mak Jah, Alhamdullilah, sihat dan bertenaga walaupun tempat penginapannya agak jauh dari tahun-tahun terdahulu...
Kakak memang salute dan kagum dengan kegigihan warga-warga emas khususnya dari kalangan orang-orang kita yang sanggup berulangalik ke Masjidil Haram untuk beribadah dalam suasana cuaca mencapai 49C, kerana ramai antara mereka yang akan pulang ke tanahair selepas selesainya puasa 6 nanti....
Musim Haji tahun ni nama x senarai... harap tahun ni bulan Dec di buka Visa utk Umrah...
Dah niat masa kt Mekah Mac 2011, kalau dpt khatam Quran dgn tertib & maknanya, akan ke sana secepat mungkin..
ya ALLAH berilah kami peluang mengunjungi rumahMU bagi menunaikan haji dan umrah...ya ALLAH berilah kami kesihatan yang baik..untuk beribadat kepadaMU
HUSSAINTAHIR Post at 19-8-2011 17:35
Betul kata Hussain. Bulan 2 hingga bulan 5, cuaca agak sesuai dan tidak beberapa panas.
Kalau nak diikutkan, sekarang ni sepanjang tahun pun agak ramai. Lebih2 lagi pada bulan Ramadhan.
Post time 17-8-2011 06:38 PM
hehe..
