Pictures show how the Grand Mosque of Makkah is cleaned

MAKKAH: The Grand Mosque of Makkah is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba, in the Saudi city of Makkah.

According to Al Arabiya News, 1,245 employees work around the clock to clean the Grand Mosque and offer services to the pilgrims, coming from across the globe. The number increases to 1,715 during Ramadan and the Hajj season, while the number of female workers increases from 210 to 341.

State-of-the-art equipment filled with 200 gallons of rosewater is used to perfume the passages and hallways of the mosque.

The hygiene management at the Grand Mosque said cleaning the mosque takes 45 minutes while the Mataf - the open white area immediately around the Ka'bah where tawaf takes place - is washed in 20 minutes. 400 liters of water are used in the process, the Al Arabiya.net reported.

The company in charge of cleaning has replaced chemical detergents with natural organic detergents. These natural cleaning products also get rid of unpleasant odors.

As for rugs, more than 150 carpets are washed daily in the largest carpet laundry in Makkah.

Work is divided on four shifts with different teams tasked to clean pillars, walls, roofs and domes, escalators, stairs, copper plates, water and rain drainages, outer walls, corridors’ floors and perfume them with oil, windows and areas where pigeons gather.

On the whole, 301 machines and equipment are used in the cleaning process including washing machines, floor cleaning machines, vacuum cleaners and golf carts.

The amount of waste can reach 300 tons a day during the peak times, while in ordinary days, it is 100 tons a day, according to the management.