Mecca redevelopment sparks heritage concerns

By Tim Hume and Samya Ayish, CNN

Updated 1100 GMT (1900 HKT) February 7, 2013

Mecca has changed dramatically over the past decades. This is how it appears in 2012. The Grand Mosque, in the foreground, is dwarfed by the Abraj Al Bait Towers complex, including the Royal Mecca Clock Tower.
Photos: Mecca redevelopment sparks heritage concerns
Mecca past and present – Mecca has changed dramatically over the past decades. This is how it appears in 2012. The Grand Mosque, in the foreground, is dwarfed by the Abraj Al Bait Towers complex, including the Royal Mecca Clock Tower.
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This photograph, taken of the Kaaba in 1954, shows how Mecca used to look.
Photos: Mecca redevelopment sparks heritage concerns
This photograph, taken of the Kaaba in 1954, shows how Mecca used to look.
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The Ottoman portico, one of the oldest parts of the Grand Mosque, fringes the area surrounding the Kaaba. Its removal is part of a renovation project that will triple the amount of space for pilgrims at Islam's holiest site, according to Saudi authorities.
Photos: Mecca redevelopment sparks heritage concerns
The Ottoman portico, one of the oldest parts of the Grand Mosque, fringes the area surrounding the Kaaba. Its removal is part of a renovation project that will triple the amount of space for pilgrims at Islam's holiest site, according to Saudi authorities.
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Boards erected around the portico that surrounds Mecca's Grand Mosque ahead of the demolition work. The portico dates from the 17th century.