Makkah Mosque to Have Room for 500,000 Worshippers More After New Expansion

P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH, 9 January 2008 —

The coming expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, will facilitate the accommodation of an additional 500,000 worshippers, according to Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar.

“This is one of the largest development projects related to the Grand Mosque and will change the face of Makkah,” said Al-Bar. The expansion will create more prayer space on the northern and northwestern parts of the mosque, he added.

King Abdullah ordered the expansion last Saturday. Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, said the project would include the construction of pedestrian tunnels and service stations.

The royal decree covers expropriation of real estate on the northern and northwestern sides of the mosque, covering an area of 300,000 square meters. “Special committees have begun estimating the value of real estate in the area,” Miteb said.

As many as 1,000 properties in the area called Shamiya and Shubaika will be demolished as part of the expansion project and the government has allocated some SR6 billion as compensation. Informed sources said the demolition of old buildings in the area would be completed within 60 days so that the new project could begin.

According to the mayor, the new project will cover the area beginning at Masjid Al-Haram Street and Gazza on the east to Jabal Al-Ka'aba Street and Shubaika Graveyard on the west. It will also run through Abu Sufyan Street, Raquba, Abdullah ibn Zubair Street, Shamiya, Jabal Hindi, Khaled Bin Al-Walid Street and Shubaika reaching Jabal Al-Ka'aba Street, Al-Bar said.

“New pedestrian tunnels linking the northern areas with the mosque’s new courtyard will be constructed as part of the project,” he added.

The first major expansion of the mosque in modern times was ordered in 1925 by King Abdul Aziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia. King Fahd initiated the mosque’s largest expansion in 1989, increasing its prayer area from 152,000 to 356,000 square meters.

The total area of courtyards around the mosque is estimated at more than 40,000 square meters, which can accommodate at least 100,000 worshippers.

On Monday the Shoura Council recommended additional budget allocations for the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques in order to help it extend better services to pilgrims during Haj and Umrah seasons and conduct scientific research pertaining to the two holy mosques.

The Shoura also called for conducting a study on installing sunshades on the mosque’s roof and its surrounding courtyards. It also proposed the installation of new electric stairs on the northern side of the mosque up to the roof in order to help the faithful pray there during peak times; it also called for the modernization of machinery and equipment at the mosque and the Ka'aba Cover Factory.

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