Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah has urged the Civil Defense, as well as the contracting company responsible for the Grand Mosque expansion project, to adopt safety measures to prevent any possible fire during ongoing construction works after a fire gutted wooden scaffoldings on the northern side of the Grand Mosque on Wednesday, injuring three workers.
“No criminal motives have been reported in the incident,” said Lt. Col. Saleh Al-Olayani, Civil Defense spokesman in Makkah, while disclosing the results of preliminary investigations. “We have set up a committee to ascertain the cause of the fire,” he said.
Al-Olayani said 16 firefighting teams took part in the effort to contain the blaze in a record time. “The fire erupted in a construction site north of the Grand Mosque,” he said, adding that the site was not open to visitors.
“The fire engulfed construction material and wooden scaffoldings spanning 20 sqm.”
The firefighters quickly doused the blaze and prevented it from spreading.
Maj. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Amr, director-general of the Civil Defense, personally followed up on the case.
Brig. Sami Al-Jedaani, Civil Defense director in Makkah, said his forces are ready to confront fire accidents in the Grand Mosque. “We carried out a mock firefighting operation at the mosque two months ago and this was instrumental in helping our officers quell Wednesday’s fire quickly,” he said.
The Ministry of Health’s emergency crisis management was put on high alert following the fire. Dr. Hattam Bhoja, head of the emergency crisis management in Makkah, said the injured were taken to King Faisal Hospital and Al-Noor Specialist Hospital for treatment.
“No pilgrims were injured in the fire,” one source said. Eleven people, who sustained minor injuries, were given first-aid on the spot.
Governor orders safety measures following Grand Mosque fire
Governor orders safety measures following Grand Mosque fire
Makkah museum displays world’s largest Qur’an
MAKKAH: The Holy Qur’an Museum at the Hira Cultural District in Makkah is showcasing a monumental handwritten copy of the Holy Qur’an, recognized as the largest Qur’an of its kind in the world.
The manuscript measures 312 cm by 220 cm and comprises 700 pages, earning the museum recognition from Guinness World Records for displaying the world’s largest Qur’an, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The manuscript is a magnified reproduction of a historic Qur’an dating back to the 16th century, the SPA stated.
The original copy measures 45 cm by 30 cm, with the chapters written primarily in Thuluth script, while Surah Al-Fatiha was penned in Naskh, reflecting the refined artistic choices and calligraphic diversity of the era.
The Qur’an is a unique example of Arabic calligraphy, gilding and bookbinding, showcasing Islamic art through intricate decorations, sun-shaped motifs on the opening folio, and elaborately designed frontispiece and title pages that reflect a high level of artistic mastery.
The manuscript was endowed as a waqf in 1883. Its original version is currently preserved at the King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries, serving as a lasting testament to Muslims’ enduring reverence for the Qur’an and the richness of Islamic arts across the centuries.
