Amid a Boom in Mosque Construction, Builders Turn to Italy's 'White Gold'

Demand has been on a constant rise for the prized white marble from the Italian town of Carrara, as orders of blocks and slabs have been increasing for the construction of new mosques and palaces in Gulf states. China’s newly prosperous magnates are also big clients. Mining of the Carrara quarries began more than 2,000 years ago. With advances in technology, extracting large quantities of the stone has become simpler than in past times. VOA’s Sabina Castelfranco visited the Carrara quarries.