250 moving umbrellas shimmer in the courtyards of the Prophet's Mosque, creating a stunning architectural feature as part of the "Shading the Courtyards of the Prophet's Mosque" project. The Saudi Press Agency shed light on this initiative. The umbrellas have been installed in all four courtyard directions, aiming to provide comfort and reassurance while protecting worshippers from the heat emitted by sunlight and the risks of slipping and falling during rainfall.
Each umbrella consists of two interlocking parts, with one part resting above the other when opened, and they are equal when closed. The dimensions of each umbrella are approximately 25.5 meters by 25.5 meters, with a height of about 22 meters and a weight of nearly 40 tons. They operate automatically at sunrise and sunset.
The umbrellas feature arms covered with glass fiber reinforced with mosaic-like patterns, designed with high-performance materials, including gold-plated copper. Additionally, there are 436 mist fan units installed on the sides of the umbrellas to cool the air and lower temperatures, along with over 1,000 lighting units on the umbrellas. Each umbrella can accommodate more than 900 worshippers, with a total capacity of over 228,000 worshippers across all the umbrellas.
