From Medina to Jeddah and Mecca
After our days in Medina we continued our trip towards Jeddah. This city next to the red sea used to be a little fishing village in 500 BC. Around 600 AD Jeddah was turned into a port town for the Islamic pilgrims who made the Hajj towards Mecca. These days Jeddah has become one of the largest industrial cities in Saudi Arabia.
Once arrived in Jeddah we visited the floating Mosque, the white Mosque of Jeddah. This white mosque is built on the water. Afterwards we went to the beach. We swum into the sea and rented a jet ski! At night we walked to the King's fountain, one of the largest fountains in the world and beautiful to see at night.
Since were girls we went shopping yesterday! We went to the red sea mal, a very large shopping mall in Jeddah. In the afternoon we continued our trip through Saudi Arabia with a bus ride towards Mecca.
Every year pilgrims who make the Hajj travel through Jeddah towards Mecca. It's one of the 5 pillars of the Islam. They are considered as obligatory for the believers of the Islam. The 5 pillars are: belief, worship, charitable giving, fasting during the month of Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. The Hajj is an annually pilgrimage that Muslims with enough money and in good health have at least need to do once in their life. 10 km before reaching Mecca the pilgrims need to dress themselves into Ihram clothing. These are two white sheets. Every year in the last month of the Islamic calendar 2 million pilgrims go to Mecca.
Arrived in Mecca they have to walk 7 times around the Kaäba. It's a black cubic-shaped building inside the Big Mosque in Mecca. The Kaäba is also called 'The house of God'. Muslims have to pray in the direction of the Kaäba and when they aren't in Mecca they have to pray in the direction of Mecca.
We really wanted to visit Mecca since it's one of the most important places in the Islam. Nevertheless everybody knows that it's impossible to enter Mecca as a non-Muslim. But of course, we tried! When we came to the 'border' of Mecca we were asked to recite a verse of the Koran. Of course we weren't capable to do this and our access to Mecca was denied...
Disappointed we took off. Afterwards I read that only one known person has ever visited Mecca as a non-muslim. The English explorer Richard Francis Burton was able to Mecca long before the time of passports and visas.
It won't be possible for us so we're moving on to visit more of the beautiful Saudi Arabia!
Amina
A sign when riding towards Mecca that non-muslims have to leave the highway to Jeddah.