Emirati astronaut posts space station video of Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi shared a video of Islam’s holiest cities as viewed from the International Space Station.

Al-Neyadi narrates as the video zooms in and out of the western part of Saudi Arabia at night. The clip first shows the Prophet’s city, Madinah, then focuses on the Red Sea city of Jeddah before narrowing in on Makkah, the holiest site in Islam.

“It’s a sight to behold — Makkah and Madinah are just like shining stars,” he says in the video posted to his Twitter account @Astro_Alneyadi.

من محطة الفضاء الدولية،
إهداء لعيال سلمان في هذه الليالي المباركة 🌙⭐️
إهداء لبلاد الحرمين الشريفين، مهبط الوحي وأرض الرسالة، المملكة العربية السعودية. 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/3OQTg4CgXb

— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) April 17, 2023

The Emirati arrived at the station, which has an orbital path 408km above the Earth’s surface, on March 3, 2023.

Ramadan is one of the busiest times for the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah as visitors from across the world arrive in Saudi Arabia to worship during the holy month.

Authorities said that 2.6 million worshippers attended the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Monday night, the 27th of Ramadan, considered by many to be Laylat Al-Qadr, a blessed night on the Islamic calendar.