To help keep Muslims praying in mosques safe from the spread of coronavirus, designers in Pakistan and the UAE have introduced an innovative modification in the ubiquitous personal prayer mat to encourage social distancing.
Traditional prayer mats – or the jaanemaz – are about 70cm wide, and used in mosques where Muslims pray next to each other with their shoulders practically touching. To build social distancing, this newly designed prayer mat is a 180cm wide with a message imprinted amongst its motif that reminds worshippers to maintain a safe distance.
The newly designed mat, printed on sustainable and cost-efficient non-tearable paper, has now been used across Pakistan, in some of its largest mosques.