Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi captured from ISS Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia. Hajj(“Pilgrimage”) started from June 26, 2023, with 2 million expected after lifting of COVID measures.
Located 70km inland from Jeddah, in a narrow valley 277m above sea level, Mecca with 2 million is the holiest city in the Muslim community. Visitors triple this figure every year during the Ḥajj (“Pilgrimage”), held in the twelfth Muslim lunar month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah. It is the birthplace of Muhammad, a cave 3km from Mecca was the site of Muhammad’s first revelation of the Quran, and a pilgrimage to it, known as the Hajj, is obligatory for all able Muslims. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city.
The local scenery on the ground is as follows.
Reference: Sultan Al Neyadi’s Tweet
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