Cairo: As part of efforts to preserve the visual identity of the Prophet’s Mosque in the Saudi city of Medina, a state agency in charge of the holy site has unveiled a gilded brass barrier surrounding the Sacred Chamber,
The Prophet’s Mosque houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is located.
The new barrier, launched by the General Presidency for the Prophet’s Mosque, replaces a wooden barrier, said deputy chief of the presidency for operational and maintenance affairs, Abdullah bin Dukhail.
“The idea of changing the wooden barrier with a brass barrier is in sync with the visual identity and architectural pattern of the Prophet’s Mosque,” he added, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
The barrier design, the official explained, is inspired by the anterior of the Prophet’s Chamber, Rawda Al Sherifa and cabins holding copies of the Holy Quran at the Old Mosque.
Made of pure brass, the barrier is 87 metres long, surrounding the Sacred Chamber from three directions, he said.
“It has posts fixed to the bottom base by internal props, guaranteeing its immovability under pressure of human density and easy maintenance,” he added.
More than 1 million Muslims are expected to visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa during Ramadan, likely to end on Thursday.
More than 21 million Muslims performed prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque in the first 20 days of Ramadan, up 49 per cent against the same period last year, head of the General Presidency for Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Abdulrahman Al Sudais, said last week.
The figure raised to over 169 million the overall numbers of worshippers who performed prayers at the holy site since the beginning of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar, according to the official.
