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Mataf of the Grand Mosque to be Expanded Through the Saudi Portico Project. PHOTOS/Anadolu Agency
MECCA – Arab Saudi has decided to name the expansion project Haram Mosque Of Makkah under the name Saudi Portico. This project will have an impact on the availability of more space for the congregation and according to technical standards of high quality and accuracy.
The Head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, announced on Sunday (21/5/2023), that the higher Saudi authorities have issued approval to name the Mataf Expansion Project at the Grand Mosque as Saudi Portico.
As quoted from the Saudi Gazette, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais said that the Saudi porch that surrounds the Abbasid porch has a much wider area that the Grand Mosque has never seen before.
It consists of four floors, namely the ground floor, first floor, second floor mezzanine and roof. The Saudi foyer and mataf have a maximum capacity to accommodate 287,000 worshipers, and 107,000 tawaf performers per hour.
Al-Sudais said that the Saudi porch includes the expansion project of the mataf (the perimeter area around the Holy Kaaba) behind the Abbasid porch, and the courtyard around the Holy Kaaba.
“King Abdul Aziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, ordered the expansion of the Grand Mosque to accommodate the increased number of worshipers, and hence, the expansion work began during the period of King Saud in 1955,” explained Al-Sudais.
“The expansion of the foyer continued during the eras of King Saud, King Faisal and King Khalid,” he continued. He also noted that the expansion of the project was under completion during the period of King Fahd and King Abdullah and the current era, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman.
He said that the Saudi foyer provides a wider space for pilgrims and congregations according to high-quality and accurate engineering standards.
“It is also distinguished by the availability of all technical services, as well as sound and lighting systems, which contribute to creating the spiritual atmosphere that the pilgrims really need,” he explained.
(esn)
