In 1994 I visited Makkah, Saudi Arabia with my family to perform the Umrah. This is a pilgrimage performed by Muslims by praying at the holiest site in Islam, Masjid al Haram. This Masjid, which means Mosque in Arabic, was first built by Prophet Ibrahim and has been since renovated by subsequent Prophets. Most recent renovations started in 2007 and are expected to last until 2020. The added space will accommodate 35% more worshipers. The Mosque is also home to the Zamzam (holy water) well. This particular well has Zamzam flowing from it since the days of Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ishmael. Moreover, this mosque is also the largest in the world as it temporarily increases its occupancy to about 4 million Muslims during the days of Hajj. Additionally, Muslims pray five times a day facing this particular mosque from anywhere on this planet. For these reasons this mosque is of great significance not only to me but for all Muslims that live around the world.
Although I had prayed facing this mosque before I visited it, my first visit amplified my personal attachment. Witnessing this grand Mosque is tremendously awe inspiring. The structure itself is exceptionally majestic. The ornate art work, extraordinary architectural design, and the sheer grandeur of the Mosque, in addition to its historical and religious significance, can inspire anyone who visits it in a very positive and meaningful manner.
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This looks extremely interesting! Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteI was raised in Saudi Arabia, and I was able to go to Mecca and I remember everytime i went it was a nice and great experience. Mecca is beautiful, i think you should mention more about the renovations that they're doing. i dont knwo how you feel about it, but its sad that they are building 5 star hotels, a billion dollar clock tower, does mecca really need all that? i think you should emphasize more on whether or not preserving it is a good or bad idea? but overall, i like your blog makes me wana go visit again, i havent been in saudi for a while! this summer, inshallah .
ReplyDeleteAwesome! this sounds so wonderful :) I'm Arabic and I didn't know any of that, I feel so learned. Some suggestions would be to give a few more reasons why the Mosque is important to you. You did that well because you incorporated a lot of the history, but I think you could either reword it so you tell the history and its significance to you. Also, in the second paragraph, add a comma after significance (I think). Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteJust reading your blog makes me really want to go and visit. It sounds like a very inspring and meaningful place. I would say overall your blog has hit the spot.
ReplyDeletethats awsome. i never really knew muslims that have made the trip. i have some friends but theyve never done this.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever seen photos of this mosque, but it seems it would be a very impressive sight. This area of the world in general would be interesting to experience as it always seems to be such a world away from our western culture.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt that Makkah is one of the most important religion places in the world. It is absolutely a "place matters"! It is awesome you went to that trip!
ReplyDeleteWow, I can really tell that your visit to Makkah was life changing. I think that you chose a great place to represent culture!
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