FOR anyone who has performed the Umrah or Haj pilgrimages, they will have probably noticed the coolness under foot when they stepped onto the marble floors of the Grand Mosque and around the Holy Kaaba in Makkah. Many have debated the reason behind the cold feeling, given Saudi Arabia's searing summer temperatures. The office of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques told Al Arabiya that the main reason was behind the type of marble used. Saudi Arabia imports rare Thassos marble flooring from Greece that reflects the sun's rays and in turn the heat during the day. Authorities have brushed off claims that the real reason behind the coolness was a series of cold water pipes laid beneath the marble floor.
