Moving images, striking panoramas, majestic mosques and minarets, special aerial images, intimate scenes of rapturous pilgrims – these are just a few rare close up moments of one of the Most important cities in the world, Makkah and Madinah. These pictures are recent (most from 1431 Hijri [2010]) and I believe …

The first thing that strikes you upon entering the holy city from Jeddah is the number of mighty yellow-and red-colored cranes on the skyline from all the ongoing construction projects in Makkah. Where once stood old buildings, multistory hotels and even hills, there is now leveled land fenced off by …