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Home / See & Do / IMAX
Journey to Mecca
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Opens Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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Limited Engagement
Ibn Battuta, the famed 14th century Moroccan traveler, set out in 1325 from his native Tangier on an epic journey to Mecca, the historical and cultural center of Islam. By the time he returned 29 years later, he had traveled the world from West Africa, Spain and India to China and the Maldives, covering some 75,000 miles and journeying three times further than Marco Polo. At the instigation of the Sultan of Morocco, Ibn Battuta dictated his reminiscences, which became one of the world’s most famous travel books, The Rihla.
Journey to Mecca is an IMAX® dramatic and documentary feature, filmed in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, and filmed primarily in English with occasional Arabic and with background Berber. The film tells the amazing story of Ibn Battuta, the greatest explorer of the Old World, following his first pilgrimage between 1325 and 1326 from Tangier to Mecca. His perilous journey resonates with adventure while presenting an unforgettable picture of Islamic civilization during the 14th century, culminating with Battuta’s first Hajj. The story is book-ended by a close-up look at the contemporary Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that draws three million Muslims from around the world every year, to perform rituals that have taken place for over 1,400 years.
This film features the first and only time an aerial view of the Hajj has been allowed. It took the producers of the film more than four years and with the passion of millions to accomplish. Click here for more fascinating behind-the-scenes of the filming of this historic event.
Educators, click here to learn about Journey to Mecca educational materials.
Journey to Mecca will be playing in the Wortham IMAX® Theatre from July 1 – September 30, 2009.
 In conjunction with the film, the presents , a unique traveling exhibition that examines Muslim scholars’ contributions to science and technology, from the explorers of the Middle Ages to Muslim engineers, astronomers and more.
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