For the first time in history, Saudi officials captured crystal clear close-up images of the Hajr-e-Aswad (sacred Black Stone) of the Ka’aba in Makkah.
Adviser to the Saudi information ministry in a statement on Monday said that it took 7 hours to take the pictures which are up to 49,000 megapixels.
He said since the Black Stone is a
“piece of Jannah and the first-ever high-resolution pictures reflect how beautiful paradise would be…”
Hajr-e-Aswad is situated in the eastern corner of the Ka’aba and thought to be a whole, which can be seen placed in a silver encasement but it is actually comprised of eight small rocks that molded together using Arabic frankincense.
The smallest stone is no bigger than 1CM, while the biggest does not exceed 2CM. The encasement, made out of pure silver, only serves as a protection mechanism for the sacred stone.
History books on the Black Stone recall how it was placed in the Ka’aba by Prophet Abraham, after it was presented to him by the angel Gabriel. The stone is recognised as to have come from heaven.
Technical Information
Shooting Time: 7 hours.
Number of Photos: 1050 Fox Stack Panorama.
Image Resolution: 49,000 Mega Pixels.
Processing Time: More Than 50 Working Hours. https://t.co/E9xktWDGJr pic.twitter.com/MOUWWJZbHA— 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 (@HaramainInfo) May 3, 2021
Muslims are encouraged to touch the stone after every Tawaf – or circumambulation – around the Ka’aba during the Umrah or Hajj pilgrimage.