(Aug. 11) -- For centuries, an astronomy observatory in Greenwich, London -- the namesake of Greenwich Mean Time -- has been the reference point for lines of longitude, ships' navigation on the world's seas and the time zones used today.

But Saudi Arabia wants to change that. It's building what it calls the largest clock in the world, atop the second-largest skyscraper in the world, in the Islamic holy city of Mecca -- in hopes of replacing GMT with "Mecca Time."

The clock dwarfs London's Big Ben, with four huge faces each about 130 feet in diameter and inscribed with the Arabic words "God is greatest." Only one of the clock's faces has been completed so far, covered with 98 million pieces of glass mosaics. Details were first released by the Saudi official news agency and picked up by several foreign media.

It's still under construction atop a nearly 2,000-foot-tall building overlooking Mecca's Grand Mosque, the point where Muslims around the world turn toward during their five daily prayers. Millions of faithful visit the site as part of the Muslim hajj voyage and other pilgrimages each year.

"We in Mecca hope to be the world's central time zone, and not just have a clock to look at, to show off," Mecca resident Hani al-Wajeeh told Agence France-Presse.

"Putting Mecca time in the face of Greenwich Mean Time, this is the goal," Mohammed Al-Arkubi, general manager of Royal Makkah Tower Hotel, told the Arab News, a Saudi newspaper.

An observatory deck is planned for the base of the clock, which will also be topped with a 75-foot wide golden crescent moon hoisted on a spire 200 feet above the clock. From there projectors will send 15 beams of light streaming up into the sky. The tower will be visible from more than 16 miles away, and the light beams beyond that.

A three-month test of the clock's precision is due to begin today, at the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The project cost about $800 million, designed by German and Swiss engineers and is being built by the Saudi Binladen Group, a construction company originally founded by Osama bin Laden's father. The al-Qaida leader split from his family decades ago, and has criticized their wealth and connections with the Saudi government, which he considers corrupt and apostate.

i guess non-muslim time is not good enough either... infidel time

they got money..lots and lots of money, thanks to the rest of the world...everybody wants OIL....the whold damn world is making these guys rich and then complains when they do wierd things like this....

i agree, but i can't stop driving... easier just to gripe about it anyway...

Considering that the Arab 'world' hasn't done squat technologically speaking since they converted to islam, is this really that much of a surprise ... ? They probably had to reverse-engineer the technology for the clock, too ...

no, the germans did it for them...

I've really been thinkin' about this Muzzlem stuff.

I can get a just at workin' age gal for about three goats.

Spanish goats run about $40.00 each.

For four wives, it would only cost $480.00.

Even if, I sent them ta' workin' cleanin' Motel rooms, I'd make my money back in no time.

I can get Wal-Mart sheets for them to make their barkers, "clothes" and $2.00 sandals from the Dollar store.

Wouldn't matter what they look like, they'd be covered from head to toe anyways.

Would beat the heck outa' the spoiled womens who wanna' word in edgewise and got attitude..

Might be tough tellin' them and the goats apart, tho' ...

But goats don't excite them like a sexy camel!


If you kiss them they taste remarkably like Llama! And just like a real woman they spit on you too!

P.S. Here is a song for these Islamic pecker heads wanting to rewrite history and make a new centralized time and all that crap...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIfnr9yueRE

Ummm, Andy ... isn't that 'llama' stuff really T.M.I. ... ? Just sayin' ...

Yes

Dang ... this thread's really startin' to get all 'Jerry Springer'-ish, ain't it ... ? Where's them ugly wimmens with missin' teeth at ... ?

i guess if there is a big clock in mecca, they will always know what time and which way to face when praying. i would hate for one of them to go to hell for praying in the wrong direction.

I wont stop driving and using fossil fuels, and I wont give any respect to Islam, Mecca, or Mohhamed.

i wonder what they would do if i rented a billboard and put a pic of him on there?(mohammed)

Welcome to the club ... it's like I tell my misguided friends who try to tell me I should drive one of the 'green' cars ... Mass Equals Survival. I'll give up my American Gas Guzzler when they pry it from around my cold dead body with the Jaws of Life ...