Tawba, from pure gold. Bab Al-Tawba is at the northern side of the Ka'aba, and through it one can get to the rooftop. The new door is made from the same wood usually used for making the Ka'aba door. The two doors cost SR 13,420 million, in addition to the 280 kilograms of 99.9 per cent pure gold supplied by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. The work began in 1398H and was finished within a year. The late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, who was then Crown Prince, took a keen interest in the project, ensuring that it was finished perfectly, and ahead of time. The Ka'aba door is more than 3 meters high, nearly 2 meters wide and about half a meter in depth. It has two shutters. The body of the door is 10 centimeters thick and is made from a certain kind of teak wood called 'makamong'. A special steel frame was made to facilitate the process of mounting the door in place. The door hinges, equipped with small wheels to facilitate movement, were fitted to the frame, which is strong enough to bear 500 kilograms. The door also has a new lock. It replaces the one made by Sultan Abdul Hameed, but has the same specifications as the old one. --MORE
