Experts use technology to photograph the Prophet Ibrahim’s footprints on shrine stone in new detail
Saudi authorities released detailed images of the Prophet Ibrahim’s shrine stone on Wednesday, thanks to new photographic technology.
The stone, adjacent to the Kaaba in the holy city of Makkah, is protected by a brass dome and metal casings.
It was photographed by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques using a stacked panoramic focus technique.
Abbasid Caliph Al Mahdi was the first ruler in Islam to cover the shrine stone with copper, historians say.
During the reign of Caliph Al Mutawakil it was encased in gold and silver to protect it further.
Islamic scholars say the shrine miraculously appeared to the Prophet Ibrahim and his son the Prophet Ismail as they laid stones for the walls of the Kaaba.
It is believed that the Prophet Ibrahim stepped on it while he was building the structure, leaving footprints.
The Prophet Mohammed described the shrine’s stone and the Kaaba’s Black Stone as “two rubies from heaven, had God not faded their lights they would have lit the earth from its east to west” in a clear indication of their sacredness in Islam, officials of the Two Holy Mosques said on Twitter.
The stone is square and impressions of Ibrahim’s feet are said to be inside its two egg-shaped hollows.
The shrine is about 11 metres east of the Kaaba’s door.
In modern times, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz ordered the expansion of the Grand Mosque.
Buildings were removed to make way for the circumambulation rituals that are performed there by many millions of pilgrims.
Crystal glass and silver covers were installed during the process to protect the stone.
The shrine took its current form and was covered with its protective brass mini dome during the during the reign of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, who also expanded the Grand Mosque.
The stone adjacent to the Kaaba in the holy city of Makkah is protected by a brass dome and casings of gold, silver and copper