Saudi Arabia's Great Mecca Mosque Is Closed Due To The Coronavirus Outbreak

Daily Mail: Mecca's Great Mosque is DESERTED due to coronavirus: Courtyard is closed for disinfecting as Saudi Arabia battles the virus… and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem shuts too

* Saudi Arabia has banned its citizens from making the pilgrimage to Mecca, having already banned foreigners
* Area around the stone Kaaba was closed Thursday for disinfection in a rare sight in bid to control coronavirus
* Iran, at the centre of the outbreak in the Middle East, has also barred Friday prayers

The central courtyard of the Great Mosque of Mecca was completely closed on Thursday as workers disinfected it in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Photos and videos showed the area around the cuboid Kaaba - the holiest site in Islam - completely deserted except for cleaners in near-unprecedented scenes.

It comes after Saudi Arabia banned its citizens from making pilgrimages to the site, having already banned foreigners from coming amid fears it was spreading the virus.

The courtyard of the mosque is at it busiest during the Hajj pilgrimage - which this year falls during July and August - but remains busy throughout the year for Umrah pilgrimages, meaning it is almost never empty.

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Update #1: Saudi Arabia announces extraordinary measures to protect Mecca and Medina from coronavirus (Middle East Eye)
Update #2: Saudi Arabia bans all pilgrimages to Mecca to fight virus spread (The Hill)
Update #3: Grand mosque in Mecca closed until Friday morning prayers (Gulf News)

WNU Editor: These are truly extraordinary times.