MAKKAH — The Mataf (circumambulation area around the Holy Ka'ba) and all the entrances to the Grand Mosque are washed and sterilized seven times per day. The areas go through the sanitization and perfuming process thrice between Isha (night) and Fajr (dawn) prayers, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques as saying on Monday. The sterilization process is carried out in shifts by 330 workers and 10 machines. The whole process is carried out meticulously to ensure the safety of worshipers and visitors to the Grand Mosque by eradicating all viruses and microbes stuck on the floors and surfaces of facilities and implements being used in the Mataf. The first washing process starts immediately after Isha prayer. This is carried out by 140 employees and workers assigned different tasks like rolling and carrying away the carpets from the prayer areas, the plastic spreads to wash and sterilize them, washing the entrances to the Mataf and its floor, and sterilizing and perfuming them in a concentrated fashion. All the facilities and implements used in the Mataf are washed and sterilized. These include the shelves for keeping copies of the Holy Qur'an, security barriers, and staircase hand rails, to ensure 100 percent sterilization. Then the carpets and plastic spreads are unfolded to make sure they are clean, sterilized and perfumed. The process is completed at midnight. The process is repeated twice using the same mechanism. The last operation is completed an hour before the call for Fajr prayer. The second and third washings are carried out with special care with the workers focusing on sterilization by spraying since there are no worshipers present in the Mataf at that time.
