Mumbai to Mecca Book

In 2003, Ilija Trojanow traveled from Mumbai to Mecca. His travelogue, in the tradition of the rihla, one of the oldest genres of classical Arabic literature, describes the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the holy sites of Islam, through the eyes of a Westerner, but with the heart of a Muslim. 'From the very first moment they realize that the Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca - is among the duties of each and every Muslim - the faithful long to go.' So one January morning Trojanow, with the help of his friends donned the ihram, the traditional garb of the pilgrim, and boarded a plane in Mumbai to fly to Dhiba. He joined hundreds of thousands of Muslims, who go each year on the Hajj - the greatest demonstration of the Muslim faith. A few hours later he arrived in Mecca, and just three weeks later he was back in India. In those three short weeks he experienced a tradition dating back over one thousand years and completed a personal pilgrimage. This is his account; personal and yet enlightening for the interested that are barred as a non-Muslim from the holy sites of Islam.