By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS

Published: Jul 30, 2011 22:51 Updated: Jul 30, 2011 23:02

MAKKAH:The Makkah Royal Clock Tower, the second tallest tower in the world, will start emitting 16 light beams to a height of 10 kilometers Sunday evening to announce the beginning of Ramadan.

The loud speakers installed at the top of the tower will carry the sound of adhan (call to prayer) from the Grand Mosque to seven kilometers far. The powerful lights in white and green blinking at the time of adhan can be seen from a distance of 30 kilometers. The lights are also helpful for people with hearing difficulties to know prayer times.

The clock face is white and indicators dark during daylight and green and white at night.

A trial run of the clock was held at the beginning of last year’s Ramadan.

The gigantic Makkah clock project was constructed on top of tower number five of King Abdul Aziz Endowment project, which consists of seven towers.

“All arrangements to receive Ramadan guests in the residential hotel, on which the clock tower is situated, have been completed. All rooms and suites have an Islamic style of interior décor that add to the spirituality of Ramadan,” director of telecommunications and business promotion at the Fairmont Raffles Hotels International in Makkah, Khaled Yamaq, said.

The Makkah Clock Tower Hotel, on which the clock is situated, is 601 meters high with 76 stories and 858 suites. It overlooks the Grand Mosque.

“A large number of pilgrims of different nationalities will be visiting the tower to get a close look at the interior of the clock tower. Therefore, the hotel’s main banquet hall has prepared to accommodate 1,000 guests for iftar (fast-breaking meal) and suhur (predawn meal before starting the fast). It comprises menus of 15 countries, including local dishes,” he said.

Ramadan cannon

A cannon will fire seven shots to mark the beginning of Ramadan in Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency said on Saturday. Shots will be fired throughout the month to announce the time of breaking the fast, the time for suhur and the end of the suhur.

The cannon will be positioned at the top of the highest hill, away from residential neighborhoods in Makkah, and is provided with sound-producing detonators. There are special security officers to take care of the cannon, which will be sent back to the store of the Tasks and Duties Administration in Makkah after the last shots announcing the arrival of Eid Al-Fitr. A total of 150 shots will be fired in the whole month.

In most Muslim countries, cannons are fired to announce the beginning of Ramadan and fast breaking time.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article480501.ece

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/o...l/56558249.jpg

جو مكة صباح الثلاثين من شعبان 1432
Atmosphere of Mecca this morning

http://www6.0zz0.com/2011/07/23/20/125185408.jpg

Original image :)

WOW! Great pic! Thanks Youssef ...Ramadan Kareem :)

Thank you very much, Roukaya19
Ramadan Kareem ;)

2 August 2011

أنارت ساعة مكة المكرمة سماء العاصمة المقدسة البارحة، بإطلاقها حزما ضوئية فوسفورية جذابة في مختلف الاتجاهات مع بدء رفع أذان صلاة المغرب خلال إفطار الصائمين.

وخطفت الأضواء الساحرة المنطلقة من أعلى قمة ساعة مكة أنظار الصائمين والمعتمرين وزوار بيت الله الحرام، بعد أن أطلقت الأضواء بالتزامن مع موعد إفطار الصائمين في مراحل تجريبية إذانا بإطلاق كافة الإشعاعات الضوئية من ساعة مكة خلال موسم رمضان الحالي، إذ تم إطلاق 16 حزمة ضوئية عمودية خاصة تصل ارتفاعها إلى أكثر من عشرة كيلو مترات، وتبلغ قوة كل منها عشرة كيلو وات.

وتتم إضاءة أعلى قمة ساعة مكة بواسطة 21 ألف مصباح ضوئي جذاب وجميل عمل بطريقة هندسية جميلة ورائعة، ويصدر أضواء لامعة وجذابة باللونين الأبيض والأخضر يمكن رؤيتها من مسافة تصل إلى 30 كيلومترا من موقع البرج.

وتشير الإضاءة إلى دخول وقت الصلوات في العاصمة المقدسة، كما تمكن هذه الإشارات الضوئية ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة من صم وبكم وضعيفي السمع، أو الذين يتواجدون في مواقع تبعد عن ساحات المسجد الحرام من معرفة دخول وقت الصلاة عبر الإشعاعات الضوئية المتواجدة في ساعة المسجد الحرام.

وتعد واجهة ساعة العاصمة المقدسة بيضاء اللون، والمؤشرات سوداء اللون نهارا، ويختلف أسلوب الإضاءة ليلا، حيث تكون الساعة خضراء اللون، والمؤشرات بيضاء اللون، فيما يحيط لفظ الجلالة بالساعة من جميع الجوانب.

http://www.makkawi.com/News/show.aspx?Id=2015

Google translation:

Lined the sky an hour Mecca the Holy City yesterday, launching aggressive phosphorous attractive light in different directions with the initiation of azan Maghrib prayer breakfast during fasting.

She was abducted lights charming emanating from the highest peak hour Mecca attention fasters and Umrah performers and visitors to the House of God, having launched the lights in conjunction with the date of breakfast fasting in the experimental stages ears opened all the radiation light than an hour of Mecca during the season of Ramadan, the current, since it was launched 16 beam light vertical private up to a height of more than ten kilometers, with a strength of each of ten kilowatts.

The lighting is the highest peak hour of Mecca by 21 thousand light bulb attractive and beautiful work of engineering in a beautiful and wonderful, and the lights made shiny and attractive white and green can be seen from a distance of up to 30 kilometers from the site of the tower.

The lighting to the time for prayers in the Holy City, and enables optical signals with the special needs of deaf and dumb and hearing-impaired, or who are in locations away from the arenas the Sacred Mosque to know the time for prayer through the radiation light located in the hour of the Grand Mosque.

The interface of the capital of the Holy Hour, white, black and indicators during the day, and different style lighting for night time where the green color, white indicators, with the name of Allaah surrounds all aspects of the hour.

Youssef you're doing great, this is fine art!