The rows of giant umbrellas in the open courtyard of the Prophet's Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi) in Madinah may look decorative from afar, but they are a large shading and cooling system built with modern engineering and automation, meant to give worshippers relief from harsh sun, heat and rain. Our Islam described the system, citing the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
There are 250 automatic umbrellas in the courtyard. Each spans about 25.5 m by 25.5 m and weighs about 40 tonnes; one open umbrella shades more than 900 worshippers, and together they shade about 228,000. They are set at two different heights so that, when open, their shade overlaps across much of the courtyard; closed, each stands about 21.7 m tall.
They are not made of ordinary fabric: the structure and arms use carbon-fibre-based materials and other modern technology to withstand long exposure to sun, wind and rain. The design carries Islamic geometric patterns and mosaics, with gold-plated copper ornament on top, so that the modern system matches the mosque's traditional architecture.
The umbrellas usually open at sunrise and close before sunset, and the whole system is run and monitored from a central control room. For relief in the heat, 436 misting fans with 16 nozzles each spray treated, disinfected water in very fine droplets to cool the air.
The design includes rainwater drainage so that water does not pool in the courtyard, and more than 1,000 lights attached to the umbrellas keep the courtyard lit at night. In Ramadan and the Hajj season, when the number of worshippers and visitors rises sharply, the shade and cooler air matter most.
Photo: Ahmed Sadoon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Our Islam
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