Viral: Mecca Shines In This Spectacular Photograph Captured From Space

Thanks to technology we are able to witness what our home planet looks like right from our tiny screens. United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut, Sultan Al Neyadi, is making history. After being the first UAE Astronaut to do spacewalks, he has now shared a snap of Mecca from space. The pic was shared on his Twitter handle while he is on a six-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Right before the celebration of Eid, the breathtaking snap of Islam’s holiest site went viral on the microblogging platform. The snaps show an aerial view of the desert valley in western Saudi Arabia. It is a glorious view from space. The image is clear enough to give a bird’s eye view of the place.

Sharing his thoughts in a tweet, Sultan Al Neyadi wrote, “Today is Arafat Day, a pivotal day during Hajj, that reminds us that faith is not just about belief, but also action and reflection. May it inspire us all to strive for compassion, humility, and unity. Here’s a view of the holy site of Mecca that I captured yesterday.” Check out the beautiful snap right here:

People could not hold back their praises for the snap. Many remarked that the astronaut’s tweet had a beautiful message as well. Others thanked him for sharing such a beautiful snap on the occasion of Eid and even wished him on the festival. “What a lovely message! Such a humbling sight as well. Eid Mubarak to all of you at the ISS,” a Twitter user wrote.

Another user tweeted, “What a remarkable capture on this holy occasion. Thank you Sultan for sharing. Happy Eid my son.”

“Is that possible that the small dot in the very center of the circle is the structure of Ka’bah?” a user questioned.

“Humility being probably the most important yet the rarest of the three. That is a beautiful photo. Thank you,” a tweet read.

In the world of Islam, Mecca is the holiest city. The city itself and the surrounding areas are considered of great historical and religious significance. It is the place where Prophet Muhammad was born. Every year, millions of people make a pilgrimage to Mecca known as Umrah and Hajj.

According to Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Sultan Al Neyadi was born in Abu Dhabi, where he received primary and secondary education. Sultan Al Neyadi completed his first year of training at Johnson Space Center at NASA in 2021. After 20 months of general training, he was granted a NASA astronaut’s pin.