50,000 new carpets meeting all technical requirements provide comfort for pilgrims
As part of preparations for Ramadan, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has covered the floors of both sanctuaries with 50,000 new carpets for the comfort and protection of worshippers throughout the year, especially during the month of fasting.
The carpets, manufactured in Saudi Arabia, meet specific criteria and technical specifications to suit the spaces of the Two Holy Mosques and meet the needs of pilgrims and visitors.
The director of the carpet cleaning department at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Jaber Ahmed al-Wadaani, said that it took 11 months to produce the new floor coverings.
They were of high quality and luxury so that worshippers could perform their prayers «with all reverence and tranquility,» he told Arab News.
The General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques established a special department 43 years ago for cleaning, disinfecting, sanitizing and perfuming carpets using the latest and best technologies.
«In the past, the carpets of the Grand Mosque in Mecca were imported from Germany, Belgium and Lebanon for many years. From 1999 to 2000, carpet imports were stopped, and the first batch of carpets was manufactured at a factory in Mecca,» Wadaani said.
The first 14 batches of Mecca carpets produced in Saudi Arabia had identical technical specifications. However, they were made in a red tone. Later, green was adopted, and this color became the standard shade of carpets in both mosques.
The carpets of the Two Holy Sanctuaries have technical specifications that distinguish them from ordinary ones. They are thicker, stronger and more durable. They have softer threads, a higher pile, feel softer underfoot, have better color stability and are resistant to repeated washing. The head of the carpet department at the Grand Mosque, Mohammed al-Tibani, spoke about the special details and prints applied to the carpets.
«The emblem of Saudi Arabia is marked in the middle of each carpet, and the rest of the carpet is decorated with wood and floral patterns and prints in various colors of yellow, beige and dark blue, all wavy in an elegant and harmonious form,« he told Arab News.
The carpets of the Two Holy Sanctuaries have technical specifications that distinguish them from ordinary or everyday ones. They are thicker, stronger and more durable. They have softer threads, a higher pile, are more pleasant to the touch, have better color stability and are not afraid of repeated washing.
Al-Wadaani said: «These carpets are made of 100 percent pure acrylic yarn. The pile weighs 400 grams, and its height reaches 14 millimeters. The total height of one carpet is 16 millimeters.».
The carpets, with their distinctive moss-green shade, undergo several washing operations throughout the year, as the laundry supplies 2,000 clean carpets to the Grand Mosque per week.
Round-the-clock monitoring of cleanliness and maintenance is carried out, and mosque workers regularly sweep, disinfect and perfume all carpets within 24 hours.
Al-Wadaani gave a detailed explanation of the four main stages of carpet cleaning, adding that the service life of a carpet is from four to six years.
«The first stage of carpet cleaning begins with the automatic removal of dirt and dust using high-quality technology. Then, in the second stage, the carpet is automatically washed and disinfected with disinfectants, water and special detergents, and then rinsed with water to remove soap.
«Then comes the third stage, when the washed carpets are placed in special tubes to dry them from water. In the fourth and final stage, the carpets are raised on racks under sunlight and fresh air, equipped with fans to accelerate the drying process. Then the carpets are swept with modern special brooms, disinfected and perfumed with the famous Taif rose water. Then they go for packaging and storage.».
Each carpet has an electronic chip and a code readable by radio frequency identification, linked to an electronic system with information about the date of manufacture, usage history, location and washing.