Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid to open for devotees from Sep 5

This comes after the high-level meeting chaired by the home minister Mahmood Ali on Wednesday evening which was attended by AK Khan, Advisor to Government on Minority Affairs; Mohd Qasim Chief Executive Officer Telangana State Wakf Board; AIMIM MLAs Ahmed Pasha Quadri and Mumtaz Ahmed Khan were present in the meeting.

The Wakf Board CEO Mohd Qasim said that they are marking out the spaces to ensure social distancing and taking up all the mandatory COVID-19 norms including sanitizing the mosque premises. "Marking will be done in the next two days to help the people follow physical distancing during prayers. Starting from Saturday, the pious will be permitted five times a day with only 50 persons till a fortnight. Later, 100 persons will be allowed for prayers i.e, from September 21 including on Fridays," he added.

Qasim further said that there is no permission for children below 10 years and elderly persons above 60 years to go inside the mosque in the view of the prevailing situation in the state. "People offering prayers at the mosque have to bring their own mats and do ablution at home," Was in said.

However, no decision on allowing tourists has been taken for now as the officials decided to shut the mosque after prayers.