Mecca | National Geographic

mekka sits in the western mountains of Saudi Arabia in a sanctuary roughly 100 miles square since long before Islam it has been considered sacred territory where no one could hunt cut trees or fight at the heart of the city is a great mosque called al-masjid al-haram and at its center is the Kaaba Muslims don't worship the Kaaba they worship what it represents the One God Hajj takes place in and around Mecca it is a series of rituals performed between the 8th and 13th days of the last month of the Islamic calendar while circling the Kaaba is the final act of the pilgrimage it is also the top priority for pilgrims when they first get to Mecca for Muslims who have prayed in this direction every day for years seeing the Kaaba for the first time is almost overwhelming now to the valley of Mina where the Prophet Muhammad stopped and rested on his Hajj nearly 14 centuries ago this is a town that grows from virtually zero to two million people overnight at dawn on the next day the camps stir with anticipation for the greatest day of the Hajj two million people are off to the plain of arahat [Music] some 50,000 vehicles clogged the roads [Music] arafat is eight miles east of minner it's the place Muslims believe Adam and Eve found each other after exile from Eden and it's seen by many as a rehearsal for the day in China [Music] it's Judgment Day all the trappings of life's are to fall away and you see these people in front of God Almighty and that's all there is a strange quiet descends in the afternoon as people turn inward it's called the standing at Arafat [Music] only when the Sun has set can pilgrims leave arafat nearly two million people stand poised to move as soon as the Sun dips below the horizon the pilgrims move back toward the white tents of minner where tomorrow they will engage in a symbolic battle with the devil here Muslims believe God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son but the devil challenged him not to one story says Abraham held to the devil with stones three separate times chasing him away three stone pillars mark the spots where Abraham stood his ground at a place called Moose deliver on the way to the pillars pilgrims pick up pebbles to stone Satan themselves the ritual is called the Jamaat with all other rights complete pilgrims return to Mecca for a grand parting visit they have all earned an honorific title for the men Hodja for the women pilgrims arrived alone in a current of a million strangers and go home writing a spiritual wave of rebirth [Music]

Channel: National Geographic

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Rating: 4.7449985 out of 5

Keywords: mecca, hajj, pilgrimage, pillar, faith, islam, muslim, saudi, arabia, middle, east, holy, celebration, ramadan:, yt:quality=high, national geographic, nat geo, natgeo, animals, wildlife, science, explore, discover, survival, nature, documentary

Id: jM81wroj_MQ

Length: 3min 45sec (225 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 06 2009