This Looks Like A Normal City Map, But The Truth May Surprise You. Whoa.

An aerial photo was recently taken in the middle of Saudi Arabia and this is what appeared. At first glance, it seems like a normal city, but you have to look much closer to realize what’s going on here.

Seems like a normal city, right?

But look closer…

Those aren’t buildings.

That’s not a city. It’s over 100,000 tents set up just 5 KM from the holy city of Mecca.

Each year, around 3 million Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Luckily for those 3 million people, the “city” of Mina, Saudi Arabia, is there.

(via Bricoleurbanism)

Whoa! That’s a lot of tents. Mina, Saudi Arabia, or “Tent City,” is composed of tents pitched to house millions of Muslims making the annual Hajj to the nearby city of Mecca. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty that’s performed in the final month of the lunar Islamic calendar. As you likely guessed, it takes a lot of tents to house millions of people, and these views from the sky help you understand the size of it all. 

Thankfully, all of the tents are air conditioned. The exterior of the white tents are coated with Teflon and can withstand temperatures of up to 700 degrees Celsius. Now that’s how you go camping.

This Looks Like A Normal City Map, But The Truth May Surprise You. Whoa.