Experience the spiritual heart of Islam from a breathtaking aerial perspective. This drone footage captures the grandeur of Mecca, highlighting the Masjid al-Haram and the Kaaba, surrounded by the ...

As the hajj pilgrimage approaches, visitors are flocking to the ‘Museum of the Holy Quran’ in Mecca, eager to explore its ...

Hajj 2025 sees a mix of ancient ritual and modern-day adaptation. From managing deadly heat and enforcing age bans to ...

Plus, threatened, ancient trees thrive in Chinese temples.

Far more than a local cemetery, says Price, it became a pilgrimage site, “like an ancient Mecca or Lourdes,” attracting visitors not just from Egypt but from all over the eastern Mediterranean.

The key features were a deep trench, two fortresses and an ancient river that was reportedly once forded by elephant-mounted Persian troops, said Jaafar Jotheri, a professor of archeology at the ...