The Courtyard Extension of the Holy Mosque in Makkah Almukarramah.
To accommodate the ever-increasing number of pilgrims to the Holy Mosque in
Makkah, a competition held by the ministry of higher education was released to
increase the number of pilgrims and worshipers in the courtyard, sahn, of the
Holy Mosque in Makkah. The Ottoman arcade and other sacred spots within the
Mosque’s boundaries must be preserved. In this proposal four major steps were
taken to meet these requirements:
To enlarge the central courtyard (sahn) by moving the steps – defining the central sahn next to Kaaba – outward, thus increasing the area of the courtyard and the number of users.
Accordingly, the columns of The Ottoman arcades were elongated downwards to comply with the new level of the courtyard.
An additional platform was provided over the Ottoman arcades on the first floor to increase the number of worshipers.
To provide a hanged bridge for the handicapped and the elderly that circumference the Kaaba on the first floor.
Among several entries, this proposal was the most effective with minimum intervention to preserve the sacred and visual features of the most sacred shrine in Islam.
