Witness .. Evacuation of the Tawaf dish in the Grand Mosque due to Corona

The pioneers of social media exchanged pictures and videos showing the evacuation of the Tawaf Square in the Holy Mosque in Makkah, as part of precautionary measures taken by Saudi Arabia to prevent the outbreak of the Corona virus.

Pictures and videos on Twitter showed the Holy Kaaba and around it a bowl of circumambulation, which was empty of the two sects and worshipers, in a scene that was less likely to be repeated in Islamic history.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted an official source in the General Presidency for the Holy Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque as saying that it was decided to close the two holy mosques one hour after the evening prayer, and to reopen them one hour before dawn, in order to maintain the cleanliness of the two mosques and prevent the spread of infection.

She added that the nave around the Kaaba and the endeavor between Safa and Marwah will be closed for the duration of the minor pilgrimage, and the prayer will only be inside the mosque.

The agency said that the precautionary measures include the closure of the old mosque in the Prophet's Mosque, including the honorable kindergarten, and the closure of the Baqi cemetery.

Corona virus is spread in many countries, especially China and Iran, in addition to recording five cases in Saudi Arabia, according to a statement of the Ministry of Health on Thursday.

The Saudi authorities decided on Wednesday to suspend Umrah temporarily for citizens and residents in the Kingdom, fearing the arrival of the new Corona virus to the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, and about a week after it suspended the pilgrims arriving.

The virus first appeared on December 12, 2019, in central China's Wuhan city, but Beijing officially revealed it in mid-January.

The World Health Organization earlier declared a state of emergency on an international scale to counter the outbreak of the virus, which later spread to several countries, causing panic throughout the world.