Mina

“A city of white tents filling the whole valley”

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Photo: Seeley International · CC BY-SA 4.0

Scenes

A procession of white-robed pilgrims and the tent city heading toward the Jamarat — A tide of pilgrims flowing through the tent cityAiman titi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning

White tents run to the horizon along the valley, and a tide of white-robed pilgrims flows slowly between them.

Tradition holds that pilgrims cast pebbles at three pillars (the Jamarat) in memory of the place where the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) turned away temptation. Through the days of the Hajj, millions of pilgrims stay in the white tents of this valley as the rites go on.

Field notes

Location: Mina · 메카 동쪽 골짜기 · N21.4° · E39.9°
Best time: The tenth day of the Hajj, Eid al-Adha, when stones are cast at the pillars and offerings are made
Getting there: About 8 km east of Mecca, reached by pilgrimage-season roads and rail.
Etiquette: As a sacred precinct, its visiting guidelines are carefully observed.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica
· Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah

Wikipedia

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