Why are the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque being photographed, even though photography is forbidden?

If the intention is to photograph mosques, then there is no legal impediment to it; rather, it is permissible, just like photographing inanimate objects. However, if the intention is to photograph people inside them, then scholars have differed regarding the ruling on photographic images of living beings, with opinions ranging between permissibility and prohibition.