Saudi Gazette The enormous masses of pilgrims that visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah all year round – especially during Haj and Ramadan – made Eisa Al-Ibrahim, a Saudi architect, design a unique expansion plan for the Grand Mosque to better accommodate pilgrims. “My proposed design is to add levels directly above the Mataf area. This will increase the available surface area and thus facilitate the tawaf for millions of pilgrims,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. The design will have to be studied first by Islamic scholars. In Al-Ibrahim's opinion, there is a pressing need to look into several options that can solve the problem of overcrowding, especially during the Tawaf. “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has already ordered an upward expansion of the Aafa and Marwa area to ease crowding during the sa'y. Similar changes should be made over the Tawaf area,” said Al-Ibrahim. “There is no possible way to expand the horizontal surface around the Holy Ka'ba. Only vertical expansion is possible,” Al
