New sunshades at the Prophet's Mosque will accommodate more than 200,000 worshippers, Abdul Wahid Khattab, Director of Public Relations of the Affairs of the Prophet's Mosque, said Friday. Moreover, a further 43,000 people will be accommodated by sunshades which will be erected inside the courtyards of the mosque, the official said. The parking lots beneath the courtyards have the capacity to accommodate 89 cars on the first floor and 294 cars on the second. Forty-four escalators and 12 elevators from the parking lots have also been pressed into service, he said. The new facilities include water taps for ablution and toilets. He added 182 sunshades will be installed on the mosque's pillars to protect worshippers from sun and the rain. These shades will cover 104,000 square meters of the courtyards surrounding the mosque from three sides and will provide shade for 145,000 people. The sunshades have all been designed in two models: 14.40 meters and 15.30 meters in height.
