Mosque al-Haram city of Mecca

Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (Arabic: المسجد الحرام‎, pronounced [ʔælˈmæsdʒɪd ælħɑˈrɑːm], "The Sacred Mosque") is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Mecca, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims worldwide turn towards while performing daily prayers and is Islam's holiest place. The mosque is also known as the Grand Mosque.[1]

The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres (88.2 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to four million Muslim worshipers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world
History

Islamic tradition holds that the Mosque was first built by the angels before the creation of mankind, when God ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Ma'mur (Arabic: البيت المعمور, "The Worship Place of Angels"). From time to time, the Mosque was damaged by a storm (flood) and was rebuilt anew. According to Islamic belief it was rebuilt by Ibrahim, with the help of his son Ismail. They were ordered by Allah to build the mosque, and the Kaaba. The Black Stone (Hajar-ul-aswad) is situated on the lower side of the eastern corner of the Kaaba, believed to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Ibrahim. The Kaaba is the direction for all the Muslims to pray across the globe thus signifying unity among all. The Islamic teaching specifically mentions that nothing is miraculous about the Grand Mosque except for the oasis Zamzam which has purportedly never dried ever since it was revealed.

    And when We assigned to Ibrahim the place of the House (Kaaba), saying: Do not associate with Me aught, and purify My House for those who make the circuit and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves.
    —Qur'an, [Qur'an 22:26]

    And when We made the House a resort for men and a place of security. And: Take ye the place of Abraham for a place of prayer. And We enjoined Ibrahim and Ismael, saying: Purify my House for those who visit it and those who abide in it for devotion and those who bow down and those who prostrate themselves.
    —Qur'an, [Qur'an 2:125]

    And when Ibrahim and Ismael raised the foundations of the House (Kaaba): Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.
    —Qur'an, [Qur'an 2:127]

Muslim belief places the story of Ismael and his mother's search for water in the general vicinity of the mosque. In the story, Hagar runs between the hills of Safa and Marwah looking for water for her infant son, until God eventually reveals to her the Zamzam Well, from where water continues to flow non-stop to this day.

After the Hijra, upon Muhammed's victorious return to Mecca, Prophet Muhammed (saw) and Imaam Ali ibn-e-Abi Taalib (a.s) removed all the idols in and around the Kaaba and cleansed it. This began the Islamic rule over the Kaaba, and the building of a mosque around it.

The first major renovation to the Mosque took place in 692. Before this renovation, which included the mosque's outer walls being risen and decoration added to the ceiling, the Mosque was a small open area with the Kaaba at the centre. By the end of the 700s, the Mosque's old wooden columns had been replaced with marble columns and the wings of the prayer hall had been extended on both sides along with the addition of a minaret. The spread of Islam in the Middle East and the influx of pilgrims required an almost complete rebuilding of the site which included adding more marble and three more minarets.

The mosque was renovated in 1570 by Sultan Selim II's private architect and it resulted in the replacement of the flat roof with domes decorated with calligraphy internally and the placement of new support columns. These features (still present at the Mosque) are the oldest surviving parts of the building and are in fact older than the Kaaba itself (discounting the black stone) which is currently in its fourth incarnation made in 1629. The Saudi government acknowledges 1570 as the earliest date for architectural features of the present Mosque.

Following further damaging rain in the 1620s, the Mosque was renovated yet again: a new stone arcade was added, three more minarets were built and the marble flooring was retiled. This was the unaltered state of the Mosque for nearly three centuries.
Saudi Development
The most significant architectural and structural changes came, and continue to come, from the Saudi status of Guardian of the Holy Places and the honorific title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (the other being the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina) been afforded to King Abdul Aziz. Many of the previously mentioned features, particularly the support columns, were destroyed in spite of their historical value. In their place came artificial stone and marble, the ceiling was refurnished and the floor was replaced. The Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, an important part of both Hajj and Umrah, came to be included in the Mosque itself during this time via roofing and enclosement. Also during this first Saudi renovation four minarets were added.
Interior of the Masjid Al Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The second Saudi renovations, this time under King Fahd, added a new wing and an outdoor prayer area to the Mosque. The new wing which is also for prayers is accessed through the King Fahd Gate. This extension is considered to have been from 1982-1988.

The third Saudi extension (1988–2005) saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a King's residence overlooking the Mosque and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments have taken place simultaneously with those in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah. This third extension has also resulted in 18 more gates being built, three domes corresponding in position to each gate and the installation of nearly 500 marble columns. Other modern developments include the addition of heated floors, air conditioning, escalators and a drainage system.

The death of King Fahd means that the Mosque is now undergoing a fourth extension which began in 2007 and is projected to last until 2020. King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz plans to increase the capacity of the mosque by 35% from its current maximum capacity of 800,000 with 1,120,000 outside the Mosque.

Right next to the mosque is the Abraj Al Bait Towers which was completed in 2011 and stands as one of the world's tallest buildings

Mosque Could Generate Green Electricity

Eddi Santosa - detikRamadan

Norderstedt - Masjid can be a source of green electricity producing environmentally friendly alias. The mosque was designed in the future of Norderstedt, near Hamburg, Germany. Excess electric current supplied to the local people.

How? Rule looks like the mosque building is equipped with a tower, which has traditionally been the muezzin call to prayer echoes. In the present era, the tower is only a symbol.

Well, on top of two tall minarets Norderstedt 22 meters was installed rotor, which in turn is driven by wind power and generate energy. This idea was triggered by Selcuk Unyilmaz, the architect designer of the mosque.

"Tower as a symbol is part of the mosque. I want to connect it with modern architecture environmentally conscious," said Selcuk told AFP from the Hamburger Morgen Post, Wednesday (08/17/2011).

The design of the mosque's architect Selcuk power plant was made for the Turkish Muslim community in Norderstedt, functional rooms equipped conference hall, offices, shops and coffee shops. Scheduled to begin construction of this mosque next year (2012) at a cost of EUR 2.5 million.

With the design of two blocks put together parts made of glass in the middle, Selcuk want to symbolize that the people feel themselves as Muslims and wargaNorderstedt Germany, as well as open to the surrounding community.

That should answer the needs of scholars. God bless Indonesia with environmentally friendly energy source that is abundant throughout the year that is sunlight, but use it to manufacture solar panels seems to have become a big concern.

In Germany in addition to wind, solar power energy sources also have long worked, although the sun here do not semelimpah in Indonesia. This encourages the research, manufacturing, and labor absorption.

Currently ada350.000 German citizen working in this green energy sector, with a turnover of billions of euros. Germany is expected to have a production capacity of this environmentally friendly energy for 23,000 MW in 2012, while the Netherlands on a range of 100 MW. (Rob van Oostveen, energieoverheid.nl).

Consumer solar panel both households and companies are stimulated by subsidies and tax regime.
(Es / es)