EIGHT pieces of alabaster that can be perceived on the right door of the Holy Kaaba gutter. So what is the story behind them? It is one of the rarest types of marble in the world known as "Mary Stone," characterized by a yellowish brown color, and it is said to be 807 years old. Mohi Eddine Al Hashemi, a researcher in the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, explained to Al Arabiya: "The pieces are gifts from the Caliph Abu Jafar Al-Mansur when he restored the circumambulation terrace of the Grand Mosque in the year 631; the date was transcribed under a blue colored stone beneath one of the rare pieces of marble. The pieces contain fascinating inscriptions. The largest is 33 cm long and 21 cm wide. Eight marbles were put up in a low place away from the circumambulation terrace and opposite to the location of the eight marbles, where Angel Gabriel taught Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) how to pray. They were stolen in 1213 (Hijri) and later found in the heritage of a dead man. They were returned to their initial position in 1377 (Hijri).
