MAKKAH, 31 March 2003 — A major project is under way at the Grand Mosque to increase the capacity for people to circumambulate the Holy Kaaba by 200 percent, according to Saleh ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Hosain, head of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Affairs.
The project, launched on Saturday on the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, will be completed before Ramadan (October), Hosain said, adding that it will facilitate movement of pilgrims especially during the peak seasons of Haj and Umrah.
The project is designed to expand the area for circumambulation on the first floor and terrace of the mosque complex by not less than 200 percent, the presidency chief said.
The new project will also reduce the distance of circumambulation. “Special areas will be allocated for the wheelchairs carrying handicapped and elderly pilgrims. There are also plans to replace carriages, used for carrying sick and handicapped pilgrims, by wheelchairs,” he said
The project also includes changes at the zamzam well area to avoid accidents as a result of overcrowding during peak seasons. Zamzam water pipes will be shifted from underground to the circumambulation area.
