What is happening on the top floor in Masjidul Haraam? I was watching it on al Qur'aan al Kareem channel and it seems as though so much work is going on there too.
The internal lock of the door of the Ka'bah was changed after 60 years. It was replaced by a pure gold lock and the key was handed over to Shaikh AbdulQader Al-Shebi, who is the eldest among the descendants of 'Uthman bin Talha .
The last lock from the Ottoman era was the one manufactured on the orders of Sultan AbdulHameed Khan in the year 1309 H and it remained there until King Khaled Al-Saud ordered the replacement of the door of the Ka'bah in the year 1398 H. The lock was also replaced along with the door.
The new lock replaces the lock installed during the reign of King Khaled. It is manufactured in the same design as its two preceding locks.
What is happening on the top floor in Masjidul Haraam? I was watching it on al Qur'aan al Kareem channel and it seems as though so much work is going on there too.
Looks like they are preparing it for the new installations related to the Mataf expansion.
Wow, it makes so much more sense after looking at the pictures. Subhaan Allah! King 'Abdullah is doing so much for the pilgrims. May Allah accept all his efforts. Allahumma Aameen.
The Custodian of al-Haramain King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's Project
to increase the capacity of the Mataf:
-The proposition of a project to increase the capacity of the mataf was shown to King Abdullah in Ramadhan 1432 Hijri who directed to start implementing it.
-King Abdullah assigned the Ministry of Higher Education, General Authority of Masjid al Haram and Masjid al Nabawi and Saudi Bin Laden Group (Working team) to finish the studies on developing the proposed solution.
-The working team recommended a number of studies which were presented to King Abdullah, as follows:
1-Studies regarding air movement in Mataf Expansion and First Saudi Expansion.
2-Studies regarding the building structure of the First Saudi Expansion.
3-Studies regarding Automated systems for Tawaf and Sa'ee for people with special needs.
4-Studies regarding systems for shading the new mataf and the roof of Haram.
5-Studies regarding crowd movement through an integrated system beginning from outside Masjid-al-Haram and the areas surrounding it.
-King Abdullah ordered that these recommended studies be conducted urgently.
-The proposed design was shown to the Supreme Hajj Committee after the Hajj Season of 1432H and they ordered to conduct studies regarding increasing the width of the
Mataf with repititive floors and studies regarding re-building the structure of the First Saudi Expansion.
-The team of Ministry of Higher Education and General Authority of Masjid-al-Haram and Masjid-al-Nabawi arranged a work shop with the Security forces in the month of
Rabi-ul-awwal 1433H to inform them about the proposed design and to take their opinion and to find out their demands.
-The meetings of the working team continued in order to develop the proposed solution including the observations and recommendations of the security forces. Some of
the important observations which were taken into account are:
1-Studying and assessing of the structural system of the First Saudi Expansion.
2-Paying attention to crowd movement and fragmentation of human blocks inside and outside Masjid-al-Haram.
3-To Facilitate the entry and exit movement in the entrances of the Masjid al Haram building so as to provide safety and security to the visitors.
4-Preparing passages and roads leading to Masjid al Haram and developing a guidance system to facilitate the arrival and departure.
5-Developing a system for shading the mataf courtyard and the roof of Masjid al Haram and the external squares surrounding it.
6-Providing specific and separate passages to people with special needs and the elderly and developing an automated system to serve them.
7-The importance of linking (the Mataf) with the Third Saudi Expansion and activating the basement level.
-The Ministry team assigned a number of consulting offices (in the field of structural studies and supporting and re-enforcing structures) to study and assess the structural system of the First Saudi Expansion and its ability to cope with the above-mentioned demands. The results of this study suggested that the current structure was unable to support additional upper floors and future demands.
-The Ministry team and a representative of the Genral Authority recommended that the First Saudi Expansion should be rebuilt complying with the same standards that were used in building the Third Saudi Expansion.
-Based on the above, the proposed project was developed to raise the capacity of the Mataf and the parts attatched to it.
-Fragmentation of Human blocks and their distribution on different floors and controlling them from outside the building of Masjid-al-Haram.
-Preseving the old Haram and main gates with minarets as much as possible and rebuilding the First Saudi Expansion taking into account the future vertical expansion.
-Linking the Mataf and Mas'aa floors on the same level.
-Specifying separate floors for people with special needs and the elderly to perform Tawaf and linking them with Mas'aa floors.
-Integration of systems and services, taking into account the future demands like shading and automated tawaf.
Initial Design Basement Floor
Ground Floor
First Floor
First Floor Mezzanine
Second Floor
Exterior Perspective
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Interior Perspective
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Comparison between Current State, Initial Design and the Mas'aa.
Longitudinal Sector of Mas'aa-Comprehensive solution
Thanks a lot to Makkawi.Pk who did this great work!
MAKKAH – Authorities are giving top priority to correct the status of people in Makkah region and improve their living conditions while implementing a massive plan for developing unplanned neighborhoods in the region, Emir of Makkah region Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said Saturday at the inauguration of the first forum to develop unplanned areas in Makkah region at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU).
Prince Khaled noted that the first project that he had presented to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah after taking over as Emir was development of unplanned districts in the Holy City. “I received quick and positive response from the King allowing me to go ahead with the plan. I promise you that we will realize the aspirations of King Abdullah, who announced that ‘there is nothing precious than Makkah,’ in developing Makkah as the most beautiful city in the world,” he said.
Prince Khaled noted that the King ordered the formation of a ministerial committee, headed by the then Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Miteb, and then by the late Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, who gave utmost importance to implement the project.
The Emir said that the problem of unplanned neighborhoods is not limited to Makkah alone but it is a global one. “Such districts are everywhere in the world. But regarding Makkah, we had to face myriad problems when we sat together to tackle the issue of unplanned districts, and some of them related to the large number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims who overstayed their visas,” he said. “There are also problems of those who moved to the Holy City after fleeing their countries due to religious reasons and they are living in this city since several years. It is essential to tackle the problems caused by these people.”
Prince Khaled said that the Saudi experience in tackling the problem of unplanned districts in Makkah region is quite different from other cities in the world. “This is because we give utmost importance to the development of human resources than anything else. There are hundreds of thousands of residents in these districts who do not have either IDs or jobs. The grave challenge in front of us was to correct the status of these people rather than the construction of any roads or setting up of utility projects,” he said. “Therefore, the government, represented by the ministerial committee, vowed to take a head count of these people and then study their individual and family problems and then work out solutions to address this vital problem.”
The Emir stressed that the authorities are putting emphasis on correcting the residential status of these people and giving them education and training so as to enable them to take up jobs. “Our main concern is to uplift these people.”
A model of the expanded Grand Mosque with the helipad
7 March 2013 - 24 Rabi Al-Thani 1434 H
MAKKAH — The roof of the expanded Grand Mosque will have a helipad that will be used to transport patients to hospitals to avoid traffic jams, especially during the Ramadan and Haj seasons.
The helipad is part of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s Grand Mosque expansion project.
The project includes new toilets and a network of paths for carts that are completely separate from pedestrian routes. It also includes pedestrian tunnels equipped with escalators and all the necessary safety and security means. The tunnels will facilitate movement to and from the northern and southern courtyards.
The expansion project also includes drinking water coolers and an advanced system to dispose of waste, in addition to security monitoring systems, and facilities to provide shade for the northern courtyards.
The General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques has announced that the lock of the Kaaba was changed after officials washing the Kaaba noticed it was rusty. The lock was made 30 years ago.
The new lock was handed to the senior “sadin,” the Kaaba’s key keeper, Shiekh Abdulqader Al-Shaibi.
The statement clarified the controversy over having the lock changed, which came at the request of the late senior Sadin Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheibi, the previous keeper of the Holy Kaaba’s door key. However, the new Kaaba’s key keeper said he should have been notified about the matter.
All affairs of the Kaaba, such as the washing, changing the Kiswaa, the lock or the other affairs are usually notified by the Royal Court to the sadin, and not the general presidency, through the governor of Makkah, said the senior sadin.
Sheikh Abdulqader Al-Sheibi said that Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, inspected the new lock while the sadin was away.
“This sidelining of the role of the sadin is a violation of his lawful rights,” said the senior sadin.
Ahmad bin Muhammad Al-Mansouri, the spokesman of the General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, said a royal decree was issued in 2009 and was directed to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) to conduct a technical study on the situation and that a group of scientists took the exact specifications of the key to the door of the Kaaba upon the request of the senior sadin who noticed that the key became rusty and does not work well. The new lock is made of 18-carat gold.
Mansouri said that the new key will be delivered to the sadin at the request of the Royal Court in compliance with the legal provisions on the affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
Mobile cold-Zamzam water distributors, will be serving the pilgrims in Masjidul Haraam on Thursdays and Mondays, for those who open the fasts in the Holy mosque. The presidency of Haramain intends to carry on this project in preparation of Ramadan.
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