The Wayfarer
The Hajj
Research and exploration of the Hajj
Number of pilgrims in Mecca for the Hajj from 1996 to 2012. Data from Ministry of Hajj
Hejaz area, places of miqat and Pilgrims in state of miqat.
Fig. 24, 25, 26, 27 .The stoning pillars over the last century stood as single pillars before they became the complex structure it is today.The constant increasing logistics of the Hajj has made the developments inevitable and it’s a pity the heritage sights of Mecca have to suffer, but it is even worse if some of the rituals have to be reformed or even removed to accommodate these logistics.
Number of pilgrims in Mecca for the Hajj from 1996 to 2012. Data from Ministry of Hajj
Ritual of the Hajj
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The Hajj is performed in the first ten days in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah (twelfth and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar) following a set of rituals which last for five or six days. In comparison to the western calendar, the Islamic calendar loses ten or eleven days per year. And so, due to this and the sighting of a new moon which begins the start of the new month, the exact date of the Hajj cannot be predicted ahead.
The Holy City of Mecca and Hajj
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Mecca is the sacred Islamic capital city in western Saudi Arabia. The location of the Ka'bah, trading between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, and the pilgrimage of Prophet Muhammad made Mecca an Islamic holy city. Mecca is located in a narrow valley about 277m above sea level. Its population in 2012 was about 2 million but during the Islamic lunar month of Dhu al-Hijjah the population triples that.
The holy cities Mecca and Medina are situated in the Hejaz area, which is the western coastal area of Saudi Arabia. It is a sacred territory forbidden to non-Muslims and is a rocky ravine area prone to flash floods.
The Hajj is performed in the first 10-13 days in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah (twelfth and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar) following a set of rituals which last for five or six days.