Mina, Saudi Arabia

Mina
Neighborhood

Tents at Mina
Country  Saudi Arabia
Province Makkah Province
City Mecca
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)
 • Summer (DST) EAT (UTC+3)

Mina (also known as the Tent City) is a neighborhood of Mecca in Makkah Province, in western Saudi Arabia. It is situated 5 kilometres to the east of the Holy city of Mecca, and stands on the road from Mecca's city centre to the Hill of Arafat. It covers an area of approximately 20 km².

Overview

Mina is best known for the role it plays during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. More than 100,000 air-conditioned tents provide temporary accommodation to visiting pilgrims. In the valley of Mina is the Jamarat Bridge, the location of the ritual of the Stoning of the Devil, performed between sunrise and sunset on the last day of the Hajj. Mina is the place where pilgrims throw stones, commemorating the occasion that the Prophet Ibrâhîm (Abraham) stoned the Devil that came between him and the command Allah had set him. Many pilgrims at hajj walk around the Ka`bah seven times, then visit the Well of Zamzam. Usually, they spend their first night in the Valley of Mina. This ritual occurs from the eighth to the twelfth day of the Ḥajj. At Mina, men and women are not allowed to sleep together.

2015 stampede

Main article: 2015 Mina stampede

On 24 September 2015, an overcrowding situation caused more than 2,000 people to suffocate and be crushed to death while injuring 934 others during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Mecca. The incident happened at the intersection of streets 204 and 223 leading up to Jamaraat bridge. It is the deadliest accident to occur in the Hajj since the 1990 disaster that killed 1,426 people. It is the deadliest stampede of the 21st century. This crowd collapse caused the deaths of at least 2,236.[1] Estimates of the number of dead vary; the Associated Press reported 2,411 dead,[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Iran says tests will show cause of diplomat's death in Saudi". AFP. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Gambrell, Jon; Ahmed, Baba (9 December 2015). "Hajj Stampede in September Killed Over 2,400, New Count Finds". The New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
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Coordinates: 21°24′48″N 39°53′36″E / 21.41333°N 39.89333°E / 21.41333; 39.89333


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