Fuad Al-Dahas

The committee assigned with the task of demarcating the boundaries of the Haram land announced that it has completed installing 1,286 stone marks, pinpointing the borders of the holy sanctuary in Makkah.

In Islamic terminology, the Haram refers to an inviolate zone around the central area of Makkah city. The term is also used to refer to the Grand Mosque (Masjid Al-Haram), the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and sometimes the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The inviolate zone, where harm to anyone including animals and plants, is prohibited extends 22 km to the south, 12 km to the south, 15 km to east and 7 km to the north from the Holy Kaaba in the center of Makkah. Pilgrims intending to perform Haj or Umrah are supposed to cross the boundaries after accomplishing all compulsory requirements of ihram (a state of consecration).

Fuad Al-Dahas, professor of Islamic Civilization and History at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, said the committee has demarcated the Haram area from all four sides.

“As many as 650 stones mark the northern frontier extending from Al-Sharaie to Al-Taneem while the southern and eastern borders are each marked by 299 stones. There are 38 stone marks on the western front,” said Al-Dahas.

He said the stone marks are in the form an arrow to guide pilgrims and visitors to the direction of the Grand Mosque.

“The demarcation was quite accurate. The execution took into consideration the topography of the area, which is surrounded by the highest mountain top in Makkah on one side and the lowest point in the city on another,” said Al-Dahas.

He said some of the stone marks existed since the time of King Saud and were reinstalled during the reign of King Fahd.

“There are stone marks on Al-Huda Road, Al-Husainiyah Road, Old Jeddah Road and Jeddah Expressway. Makkah is a unique city with its mountainous terrain and unpopulated areas. It is a challenge to determine and mark the exact borders of the holy city,” said Al-Dahas.

He added that those challenges are exactly what makes Makkah a miraculous city, to be able to build a civilization and ensure everyone’s safety in one of the most crowded cities on Earth.

“The stones marking the borders look different from mountain stones. It is important to differentiate between the two types of stones to make it easier for pilgrims to see and recognize where the borders if the Haram are,” said Al-Dahas.

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