Makkah News and Updates

December 8, 2012

The news that the Ottoman era colonnades were going to be demolished during expansion work around the Kaba created outrage amongst the Turkish public. The Saudi Arabian King Abdullah has issued an order for these colonnades to not be demolished

A Turkish firm has, with a 400 man team, started work on expanding the circumambulation area around the Kaba. Some of the colonnades that were demolished during demolition work started a couple of days ago have been revealed to be fake colonnades constructed 10 years ago.

According to the order, the real ottoman colonnades, outside of these fake colonnades located across the Kaba gate, will not be touched.

An AA reporter, during shootings of the Masjid al Haram surrounding this area, revealed that the colonnades directly across the kaba gate have begun to be demolished.

The king especially requested a turkish company

Authorities stated that the king wanted demolition work to enlarge the circumambulation area around the kaba to be especially carried out by a turkish firm from turkey. It was stated that he especially wanted the turks to work on the enlargement work on the masjid al haram in mecca and the masjid al nabawi in medina, due to the turks paying special heed to the spiritual value of these two holy locations for hundreds of years.

The demolished colonnades were reconstructed 10 years ago

According to information gathered, the colonnades located directly across the Kaba gate that are being demolished during the last couple of days were severely damaged and disintegrated during foundation work and construction work on the Safa and Marwa hills construction site. The damaged colonnades were reconstructed using steel casts. But as ottoman colonnades were constructed using clay it is impossible for them to have been constructed using steel casts.

27 of them might be fake

The architects and engineers of the turkish firm working on the expansion project are continuing inspections to determine the original colonnade domes at Haram. It is estimated that 27 of the colonnades located across the Kaba gate could be fake.

Authorities state that these colonnades will inadvertently have to be removed during expansion work at the Safa and Marwa hills area and that the domes that will replace the 10 year old fake colonnade domes have also been constructed by this Turkish company and are being kept ready to be put up. After the demolition of the fake colonnades the new ones will be put up 40 meters closer to the Kaba than the ones before.

But the original ottoman colonnades, the colonnades out side of the ones to be demolished across from the Kaba gate, will not be touched.

A temporary portative area will be created in the circumambulation area

Saudi officials will, until the expansion work is completed, set up a temporary single floor portative steel circumambulation area, as a precaution against overcrowding especially during the Ramadan months and Hajj in the circumambulation area. In the circumambulation area, while circumambulation can be carried out on the ground floor, circumambulation can also be carried out on this second temporary steel floor. But later on this portative circumambulation floor will be removed. The portative floor is expected to be completed by the start of Ramadan. According to the contract the Turkish company will complete expansion work within 3 years."

Source:  http://www.posta.com.tr/dunya/HaberD...ticleID=151661

11 December 2012 - 27 Muharram 1434 H

MAKKAH — Realtors in the Holy City have warned that unless a plan to raise more floors in the existing buildings was approved, rents in Makkah would continue to spiral.

They noted that the annual rent of a small apartment these days is more than SR30,000 and this was beyond the capacity of a large number of people with limited resources.

Abdullah Saqqat, a real estate expert and member of the real estate evaluation committee of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for the immediate issuing of the provision to increase the existing floors in a building. “This system was long overdue. The lack of such a system has led to the rise of rents and also of the prices of empty lands,” he said.

Because of the economic activities in the Holy City throughout the year due to the large numbers of pilgrims coming for Umrah or Haj, the rent prices were constantly on the rise. “The compass for the prices is constantly pointing upwards,” he said.

Saqqat said there were two reasons behind the hike in the rents. One was that there were few apartments available for rent against a high demand especially by youth planning to marry. The second was that because of the development projects in the Central Area around the Grand Mosque, residents were moving toward the suburbs thus increasing the prices there.

Saqqat said some landlords would be willing to rent their apartments for as low as SR15,000 but the tenants would have to vacate before the Haj season otherwise they would have to pay the full rent of SR30,000. “The tenants have no other options. They will have to leave the apartment long before the Haj season or accept to pay the full rent,” he said.

Salim Abu Hamra, another real estate expert, recalled that the municipality had said many years ago that the system of permitting the building of extra stories would soon be issued. “Nothing has so far happened in this regard despite the passage of long years,” he said.

He hoped that the system would soon be issued in order to increase the supply and said many young men were abstaining from marriage because of the high rents. “We have to find solutions for the problem of high rents.

This has become a real predicament for both the citizens and the expatriates,” he said.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20121211145623

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Foreign diplomats based in Riyadh expressed awe and amazement at the wonders of the Madain Saleh during a recent tour organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two-day tour of the site in Ola Governorate in Madinah Region on Thursday was conducted to educate foreign envoys living here about the treasures of the Kingdom.

Alauddin Al-Askary, deputy foreign minister for protocol affairs, personally accompanied more than 100 diplomats and their families on a flight to Al-Ola airport.

The Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Aziz Domestic Airport is located 25 kilometers, southeast of Al-Ula and the closest to the pre-Islamic archaeological site of Madain Saleh and Al-Ula heritage village.

Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities met the diplomatic delegation and invited them to tour one of the most important heritage sites in the world. He said two new tourist sites — the historic site of Jeddah and rock paintings in Hail — would be registered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Madain Saleh dates back to the second century BC. It is the largest and best-preserved site of the Nabataean civilization south of Petra in Jordan and the first Saudi archaeological site to be included in UNESCO’s world heritage list.

The site is located 320 kilometers north of Madinah and covers an area of 15 sq. kilometers. It includes 111 tombs, of which most are adorned with decorative façades, cave drawings and pre-Nabataean inscriptions.
It boasts intricately designed water wells that serve as an example of Nabataean architectural and hydraulic genius.

The Nabataeans first inhabited the area in the second century BC, but their ancient civilization existed as far back as the eighth or seventh century BC in the countries of the Levant, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, and at times extending into the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Originally nomads from the Arabian Peninsula, the Nabataeans were masters of trade, dominating the incense and spice routes of the pre-Islamic period. Their civilization collapsed in 106 AD at the hands of the Roman Empire.
Officials at Madain Saleh say visitors to the site reached 40,000 last year. They hope figures will double in 2012 as a result of the government relaxing entry restrictions.

Two museums exist on the site, including one devoted to the famous Hijaz railway, built by the Ottomans in the early 20th century, which ran from Damascus to Madinah and passed through Al-Hijr. The second museum traces the pilgrimage route to Islam’s holiest city of Makkah.

The area bears evidence of other ancient civilizations. Just 22 kilometers from Madain Saleh is Al-Ola, located on the ancient incense route. The city served as the capital of Lihyan, an ancient Arab Kingdom. It is home to archaeological remnants that date back thousands of years, including it’s citadel, which is 8,000 years old.

As they toured the site many diplomats shared their appreciation of the sights around them. Ambassador of Kuwait, Sheikh Thamer Bin Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, thanked and praised the Kingdom for their protection of heritage sites, saying all citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States and Arab countries should be proud of the Kingdom’s efforts. “We should promote these sites globally and redouble our efforts to promoting our heritage. The Kingdom’s heritage is a source of pride for all GCC citizens.”

Sir John Jenkins, British ambassador, said the archaeological sites in Madain Saleh reflect the depth of civilization of the Arabian Peninsula. He praised the efforts of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in supporting heritage and maintaining the antiquities of the historical city.

Irish Ambassador Niall Holohan said the places he visited would certainly attract local and foreign tourists to the Kingdom.

Mexican Ambassador Arturo Trejo said the visit gave a deep insight into the rich history of the Kingdom.

Singapore Ambassador Wong Kwok Pun, who accompanied his wife on the tour, said they both enjoyed the visit and it gave them an eye-opening glance into the Kingdom’s rich history. “We will take good memories back to our country and tell our people about the rich heritage of this holy land,” he said.

Maldivian Ambassador Adam Hassan said the visit was a unique and wonderful experience and it is a “must” place for everyone to visit.

Besides the historical importance of Madain Saleh, Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammed Shahidul Islam said he and his fellow diplomats were taken by the traditional hospitality of the local people. “We were all well looked after and entertained by folk dances and cultural performances.” He said the tour was interesting and visitors to the city of archaeological wonders would return to the capital with an enhanced knowledge of Saudi history and a deep sense of satisfaction of a trip that will remain in their hearts forever.

http://www.arabnews.com/ambassadors-...logical-wonder

12/10/2012

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has ordered the preservation of the Ottoman portico within the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca during a project to expand the prayer area in the mosque, a Turkish daily reported on Sunday.

The project will increase the size of the mosque to 500,000 square meters, doubling its current size. However, there have been debates as to whether the historic Ottoman portico within the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca will be demolished as part of the project or not.

According to Star, King Abdullah ordered only the porticos that were built in recent times to be demolished but to keep the historic Ottoman portico.

Following a request from the king that a Turkish company do the expansion work within the mosque, a Turkish company was selected for the task and began inspections to ascertain which of the portico sections in the mosque are authentic and which were re-built. It found that 27 sections of the porticos had been re-built.

The Saudi project again drew the ire of Muslims when some sections of the portico were about to be demolished several days ago. However, the Saudi authorities announced that the demolished sections of the portico were built 10 years ago after their original form was greatly damaged by previous construction work on the hills of Safa and Marwa.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly raised the matter at one of his meetings with the Saudi king several months ago and requested that the portico, the only remnant of Ottoman heritage in Mecca, be left intact.

Almost 300 historical buildings around the Kaaba have been demolished as part of initiatives to enlarge the area around the Grand Mosque in the last 80 years.

Within the scope of the recent project, Saudi Arabia plans to increase the mosque's indoor capacity to 630,000 people. The current project is being carried out in two stages. The first, which began in 2009, involved the demolition of 2,350 hotels, offices and other buildings around the mosque, with another 1,900 buildings set to be demolished soon. During the second stage, which is currently being carried out, the prayer area will be expanded.

http://en.haberler.com/ottoman-porti...tected-247070/

10.12.2012

Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru has examined the situation about the Ottoman porticos within the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca in Saudi Arabia, where he has been on the occasion of a meeting. Koru came together with the officials of the Turkish company which is carrying out the enlargement project of the mosque.

In a statement given to Cihan News Agency (Cihan), Naci Koru said within the scope of the recent project, certain sections of the porticos which are in the direction of mount Safa among about 500 pillars around the Kaaba will be moved 40 meters inside. He added that the other section will be raised by being filled from the bottom. Moreover, the reparation required for the Ottoman porticos will be done in accordance with the original form.

Deputy FM also noted that according to the company officials, only the porticos that have no hictorical value will be demolished. “The domes of some porticos that have been demolishing recently are made of brick; they are not original. These are reinforced concrete domes re-built during the previous construction works. Actually, this case can be clearly understood with construction irons revealed during the demolition works.” indicated Naci Koru.

Koru continued as “According to the information we got, the government of Saudi Arabia gives special importance on protecting the porticos. Construction works in Haram are not given to strangers. That is why a Turkish company is selected, considering that ‘Turks are the best for the task’. Giving the project to a professional company shows there is no need to worry. As a diplomat who served in this country for five years, I feel happy with the approach of Saudi authorities to this issue.”

http://en.cihan.com.tr/caption/Speci...c4NTI2LzEwMDQ=

 

Wednesday 12 December 2012

All Islamic countries should have a committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia), which would ensure correct practices among Muslims. Islamic countries would benefit from having such a body and could take advantage of the Kingdom’s experience in this field.

Participants in a conference that the Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz Chair for the Study of the Haia at the Islamic University organized, in collaboration with the General Presidency of the Haia, suggested this.

They called to forge partnerships between these Haia committees and media organizations, to strengthen relationships within the community and promote a virtuous culture according to the Qur’an and Sharia law.

At the end of the conference on Monday, the participants recommended the need to highlight the attributes of the Kingdom’s Haia committee through various media channels, as a model for other Muslim societies.

They requested that preachers, mentors, educators and media employees would stress the awareness among community members of the permanent need of a committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, as it provides a permanent blessing of security and stability.

http://www.arabnews.com/haia-other-i...ries-suggested

12 December 2012 - 28 Muharram 1434 H

MAKKAH — A contract was signed on Tuesday to establish a Zamzam water bottling factory to distribute the holy water among pilgrims.

The SR20 million contract, which will last 15 years, was signed between the unified office of the Zamzama (suppliers of Zamzam water) and the Water Technology Company (WTC), a national firm.

Chairman of the office Sulaiman Abu Gheelah said the new factory would replace the existing one at Al-Rusaifah district that will be demolished to make room for new projects in Makkah.

He said the factory will bottle Zamzam water during the Haj seasons and will deliver the packages to the office for distribution among pilgrims who will be staying in more than 6,000 housing units.

“The agreement was sponsored by the Al-Zaidi Investment Group, which has provided more than 100 apartments close to the factory for the accommodation of workers.”

Abdullah Baqatadah, deputy chairman of the WTC, said the factory will be established on an area of 10,000 square meters. He added the company will continue bottling natural water throughout the year, except during the Haj season when it will start bottling Zamzam.

He said: “The factory will be launched early 2013 with two production lines producing 4,000 five-gallon packages and 12,000 bottles per hour.”

The factory will be supplied with modern sterilizing equipment, he said.

Abu Qatadah said a permanent exhibition displaying the historical phases of the bottling of the holy water that has continued for more than 700 years will be constructed near the factory.

“This exhibition will allow local and foreign visitors to find out how the water has been pumped out of the well and bottled for distribution.”

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20121212145735

Crown Prince honors

 

 

Hadith research scholars
 

13 December 2012

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah left hospital yesterday after recovering from a successful back surgery, a royal court statement said.

King Abdullah has thanked world leaders as well as Saudis and all others who prayed for his speedy recovery and inquired about his health condition, the royal court said.

The operation took place at King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Riyadh on Nov. 17.

http://www.arabnews.com/king-abdulla...iyadh-hospital

1 = Center of the earth.
2 = History, Makkah during Abraham.
3 = Year 157 before Hejrah, Makkah during Gussei, Grandfather to Prophet Mohammed.
4 = Year 12 before Hejrah, Makkah during Guraish.
5 = Year 91 Hejrah, Makkah the Omayied Era.
6 = Year 310 Hejrah, Makkah during the Abbasied Era.
7 = Year 1215 Hejra, Makkah during the Ottoman Empire.
8 = Year 1412 hejrah, Makkah after completed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque, King Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz


Omayied and Abbasied Era

The Mosque of al-Haram was first built under the leadership of the Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab (634-644) and has been modified continuously under several Muslim rulers. Omar, the first Caliph, ordered the demolition of some houses surrounding the Ka'ba in order to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and built a 1.5 meter high wall to delineate a large prayer area. During the reign of his successor Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan (644-656), the prayer space was enlarged and was covered with a roof carried on wooden columns and arches. In 692, after Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan conquered Mecca from Ibn Zubayr, the guardian of the holy site, the outer walls of the mosque were raised, the ceiling was covered with teak and the column capitals were painted in gold. His son, al-Walid (705-715), contributed to the Mosque of al-Haram by replacing the wooden columns with marble ones and by decorating its arches with mosaics. Later, Abbasid Caliph Abu Ja'far al-Mansur (754-775) added mosaics to the columns. He also doubled the size of the northern and western wings of the prayer hall and erected the minaret of Bab al-Umra on the northwest corner.

In 777, due to the growing number of pilgrims, Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi (775-785) ordered the rebuilding of the mosque, demolishing more houses around the Ka'ba. The new mosque enclosure centered on the Ka'ba, measured 196 meters by 142 meters. It was built on a grid plan, with marble columns from Egypt and Syria, decorated with gilt teak wooden inlay. Al-Mahdi also built three minarets crowned with crenellations and placed above Bab al-Salam, Bab Ali and Bab al-Wadi of the mosque.

In 1399, the northern part of Masjid al-Haram caught on fire, which damaged over a hundred marble columns and consumed the ceiling. The remaining sections suffered from water damage in a flood. The mosque was subsequently rebuilt by Mamluk Sultan Nasir Faraj bin Barquq (1399-1405). The damaged marble columns were replaced with stone columns quarried from the nearby mountains of the Hijaz region and the roof was patched with local wood from the Ta'if Mountains.

Ottoman Empire

The Ottomans sultans made their own contributions to Masjid al-Haram. In 1571, the Sultan Selim II (1566-1574) ordered court architect Sinan to renovate the mosque. Sinan replaced the flat roof of the prayer hall with domes decorated with gilded calligraphy on the inside. New columns brought from the nearby Shams Mountains, were placed among the old columns to support the new roof. Due to the damaging rains of 1611, Sultan Murad IV (1623-1640) ordered the restoration of the mosque and the rebuilding of the Ka'ba in 1629. The mosque was composed of a new stone arcade supported on thin columns, with inscriptive medallions between the arches. The floor tiles around the Ka'ba were replaced with new colored marble tiles and the mosque was equipped with seven minarets. By the end of the Ottoman rule in Hijaz during World War I, the external enclosure of the mosque measured 192 by 132 meters.

Saudi extensions

The Saudi Kings in their turn contributed also to the Mosque of al-Haram. Between 1955 and 1973, the first Saudi extension was sponsored by King Abdul Aziz (1932-1953). The new structure required extensive demolitions around the Ottoman mosque to a two-storey arcade made of artificial stone columns and covered with carved marble panels from Wadi Fatimah. The ceiling of these arcades was coffered and decorated with molded plaster and the floor was tiled with stone and marble. During this first Saudi extension, the Mas'a (the gallery connecting the Rock of al-Safa' with al-Marwah) was extended to reach the mosque. The extension was built on two floors, with a structure of reinforced concrete arches clad in carved marble and artificial stone. This gallery communicates with the street and the mosque through eleven doors. Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Umra were also renovated at this time to match the style of the newly built Bab King Abdul Aziz on the southern façade. Four minarets were erected near Bab al-Umra and Bab al-Salam and the three older ones were refashioned. As such, they stood eighty-nine meters tall on square bases. Each had two octagonal balconies decorated with colonettes; the first located at the height of the mosque roof while the second was at the top end of the shaft.

The second extension sponsored by King Fahd (1982-present), consisted of a new wing and an outdoor praying area, both situated to the south east of the existing mosque. The new prayer hall is accessed through the monumental Fahd Gate at the southeast that leads to the Ka'ba. It is composed of two floors separated in some sections by a mezzanine that houses mechanical services; air conditioning circulates below the tiled floors and is supplied through ventilation grids located at the base of each column. The praying space is built on a five-meter grid. Its arcade is roofed with square coffers decorated with plaster molding. The columns are clad with marble panels, whereas the arches are covered with artificial stone and plaster moldings. Along the axis linking the Fahd Gate to the Ka'ba, three grid modules are covered with domes decorated with muqarnas squinches molded with plaster, that carry drums perforated by thirty-two arched windows. The dome space is illuminated with colored glass chandeliers and a backlit stained glass panel at the apex. The interior walls of the prayer hall are clad with a marble dado of 2.5 meters high. This decorative element was used to conceal loud speakers and electrical wiring.

The rooftop of the new extension is linked to the roof of the entire complex, which is designed to accommodate overflow. The prayer area also extends also to numerous plazas outside the mosque. The outdoor plaza at the southeast corner outside of Fahd Gate slopes slightly downward, emphasizing the direction of prayer. Parallel to the northeastern and the southwestern walls of the new extension, two rectangular projections were built to conceal the escalators connecting the basements and parking facilities below ground to the public plaza and the prayer halls above.

The second Saudi extension of the Masjid al-Haram took into consideration the architectural unity of the complex. The façade of the new praying space built by King Fahd blends in with the previous constructions, with its gray marble facing from the nearby Fatimah Mountains, inlaid with carved white marble bands and window frames. The monumental King Fahd Gate, which gives access to the new extension, consists of three arches with black and white voussoirs and carved white marble decoration. The gate is flanked by two minarets matching the older ones. The window modules along the façade of the prayer hall are covered with brass mashrabiyya and framed with carved bands of white marble. The minor gates have green tiled sloped canopies.

The Masjid al-Haram is the only mosque that has no qibla direction for the worshippers pray facing the Ka'ba, situated in the central open courtyard. The mosque today covers an area of 356,800 square meters including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to 820,000 worshippers during the hajj period.

Sources:

-Damluji, Salma Samar ed. 1998. The Architecture of the Holy Mosque Makkah. London: Hazar Publishing Limited.
-Al-Hariri-Rifai, Mokhless. 1990. The Heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Singapore: Eurasia Press, 200-212.
-Creswell, K.A.C. 1989. A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture. Aldershot: Scholar Press, 3-6.

http://archnet.org/library/sites/one...p?site_id=8803

Jeddah, Safar 01, 1434, December 14, 2012, SPA --

Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar, Minister of Hajj, vowed readiness of his ministry and all Hajj-related institutions in the Kingdom to provide the most advanced and comfortable services to Umrah (minor Hajj) performers, scheduled to start arriving in the country as of today, the first of Safar 1434 H.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency to mark the occasion, Dr. Hajjar said all Umrah applications have been electronically processed at Saudi embassies and consulates abroad, noting that last year around 5.5 million Umrah performers have come to the Kingdom.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/print.php?id=1058752