Watch: Makkah is Greener and Scenic as never before
The Saudi Arabian landscape, normally devoid of any greenery, lived up after frequent rains that followed Salatul-Istisqa offered in November 2022. Read More
Makkah (Saudi Arabia): The last one year’s of regular rains have turned Makkah, a desert into a Green Valley with mountains and highways giving a scenic view of the Holy City which the local residents have never seen before.
Mount Hira Turns Green
The Mount of Hira, a black and rocky mountain, has always been a tourist hunt for the visitors of the Holy City of Makkah. Visiting this place is now more memorable for them.
“I have visited Mount Hira a number of times in the past while in Makkah to perform Umrah. But I have never seen such a greenery before”, Alqama Kausar, who returned from Umrah December, last told ummid.com.
“The entire mountain is covered under a green capsule. So beautiful. So enthralling”, she said.
Mount Hira, also known as Jabal al Nour, houses the Cave of Hira or Ghar I Hira, is where Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) had received the first revelation of Holy Quran.
In his early life in Makkah, Prophet Muhammed spent years in supplication inside the Cave of Hira. Sometimes he would stay here for days and his noble wife Khadija would bring him tiffin meal.
Hajj and Umrah pilgrims routinely visit the Cave of Hira as a gesture of their love and affection for the Prophet.
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The Saudi Arabian landscape, normally devoid of any greenery, lived up after frequent rains that followed Salatul-Istisqa – the Special Prayer offered seeking rains, in the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, and other mosques of the Kingdom in November 2022.
New images and videos shared online show a desert bloom carpeting the Makkah Valley and the northern part of Saudi Arabia triggered by heavier than usual winter rains ever since then.
600 per cent increase in Makkah Green Spaces
According to The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, the Makkah region in Saudi Arabia witnessed a staggering 600% increase in vegetation cover and greenery over the course of last five months, from August to December 2023.
The center has attributed this growth to the significant rainfall during this period that reached up to 200 mm in some areas.
Based on the analysis of remote sensing data, the center said the total area of vegetation cover in Makkah in August was 3,529.4 square kilometers, representing 2.3% of the total area of the region. This area gradually rose over the following months with increased rainfall, reaching 26,256 square kilometers by the end of the year.
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Macca & Quran pic.twitter.com/sBh4IAVKvG
— کعبۃ اللہ | Makkah (@HolyMakkah01) January 6, 2024
By December 2023, the vegetation cover spanned 17.1% of the total area of the Makkah region, predominantly in the mountains and highlands parallel to the Red Sea coast, with elevations ranging from 500 to 2,600 meters.
“This includes the governorates of Makkah, Taif, Al Laith, Al Jumum, Al Kamil, and Khulais”, the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating said.
The center uses modern remote sensing and AI technologies to monitor and assess changes in vegetation cover and land cover, as well as rainfall patterns and plant health.
This data-driven approach allows for accurate tracking of environmental changes and facilitates strategic planning in combating desertification and promoting greener landscapes.
Another attraction amidst heavy rains and thunderstorm in Makkah and around is Makkah Tower. Viral images and videos show the Clock Tower in Makkah standing high and steady as lightning bolts strike the Golden Crescent atop the iconic building located very close to the Grand Mosque in Makkah or Haram al-Makki.
The Makkah Clock Tower has been specially designed and work on a tech system to handle lightning and thunderstorm. The system not only protect from lightning the Clock Tower but also the adjoining areas.
There is also a debate about Makkah mountains turning green as a sign of Qiyama or the last day also called as doomsday. This debate is on the basis of a prophecy by the Prophet who as narrated in Sahih Muslim said, “The last hour will not come before wealth becomes abundant and overflowing, so much so that a man takes Zakat out of his property and do not find anyone to accept it and till the land of Arabia reverts to meadows and rivers.”
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