A former official of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) in Makkah has renewed his proposal to establish cinemas showing historical documentaries near Islamic and religious landmarks in the Holy City.

Cinemas should be near holy sites such as Jabal Thawr, Mountain of Light, Bir Tuwa and the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Ahmed Al-Ghamdi was quoted as saying by the Makkah newspaper on Saturday.

“Historical information on religious monuments should be provided through these cinemas before they are visited. This will help the visitor to know the history of these places well,” he said, adding, “In addition to providing historical information, such cinemas can provide warnings as to what is permissible and what is not.”

A number of residents of the Holy City recently suggested this idea through some of the social and cultural councils.

Gen. Mohammad Al Harthy, Former police chief of Makkah, said, “The establishment of theaters near historical monuments has huge awareness goals; it will be a good impression for the visitors.”

He, however, stressed the importance of censorship by competent authorities to ensure the accuracy and validity of the information presented.

Supporting the idea of theaters near historical sites, Fawaz Al-Dhas, history professor at Umm Al-Qura University, cited the example of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, which has established high-tech showrooms to present documentaries and historical information on some important sites. “These sites experience high demand each year from visitors seeking educational information about the monuments,” he said.