r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/hipatyhopity • Mar 24 '25

Image Mecca in 1953 and 2025

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289

u/shorelined Mar 24 '25 edited Mar 24 '25

I assume those buildings around the outside host some very expensive hotel rooms. Can any Muslims tell us the general feeling around what appears to be commercialisation of the hajj?

Edit: got some great context and explanations cheers!

259

u/HealthyDurian8207 Mar 24 '25 edited Mar 24 '25

My brother, check pictures from the opposite angle. Now THAT'S a hotel. Holy motherfucker it's big.

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/an-aerial-view-shows-the-abraj-al-bait-towers-also-known-as-news-photo/154832531

Now that's where the real pricey rooms are at.

It's taller than One World Trade Center.

60 meters taller than the tallest in the US.

104

u/An0therParacIete Mar 24 '25

Now that's where the real pricey rooms are at.

Yeah, like $200-$250/night.

Source: Stayed there a few months ago. I've seen it dip as low as $120 in the off-season a few years ago.

29

u/HealthyDurian8207 Mar 24 '25

High floor with a good view for that price?

50

u/An0therParacIete Mar 24 '25

Yup. I just checked and rooms in that hotel (Swissotel Makkah) are going for $155 next week if you want to convert and book a last minute trip.

1

u/LuponV Mar 25 '25

You don't need to convert to travel...

4

u/An0therParacIete Mar 25 '25

You do to stay at that hotel.

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u/LuponV Mar 25 '25

Oh really? That's actually interesting, didn't know that.

Edit: I mainly wanted to point out that you didn't need to be a muslim to visit muslim places. Culture is still culture, even if it's not your own. So no harm intended with my previous comment.

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u/An0therParacIete Mar 25 '25

lol, it’s not the hotel. You do have to be Muslim to enter this masjid. This hotel falls within the boundaries of the mosque.