Saudi Gazette report
MAKKAH — The General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques has installed the last crescent of the Grand Mosque on the minaret of Al-Fatah Gate. The erection of the golden crescent marked the completion of the installation of the manmade crescents on all the minarets of the Grand Mosque in Makkah as part of the ongoing largest ever expansion in the history of Islam’s holiest shrine.
There are a total of 13 minarets for the Grand Mosque, and each minaret is topped with a golden crescent. The authority said that the crescent is made of carbon fiber, molded around an internal iron structure, and the imposing crescents are coated with gilded glass.
The carbon fiber is considered as highly durable, and is painted in a golden color to preserve its beauty. As for the internal structure, it was made of a high-quality iron structure to enhance the crescent’s solidity and durability.
The authority said that the length of the minaret exceeds 130 meters while the height of the crescent is approximately 9 meters and its base is two meters wide.
It is noteworthy that during last June, two new crescents were installed on minarets near the King Abdulaziz Gate, the main entry of the Grand Mosque. The minarets of the Grand Mosque are among the most prominent features of Islamic architecture in general and the landmarks of the Grand Mosque in particular.