Journey to Mecca
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''Journey to Mecca: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta'' is an IMAX ("giant screen") dramatised
documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...
charting the first real-life journey made by the Islamic scholar Ibn Battuta from his native
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
to
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
for the Hajj ( Muslim
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
), in 1325.


Background

The 20-year-old Muslim religious law student Ibn Battuta (1304–1368), Annotated edition (September 30, 2004). Se
google book search
set out from
Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...
, a city in northern Morocco, in 1325, on a pilgrimage to Mecca, some 3,000 miles (over 4,800 km) to the East. The journey took him 18 months to complete and along the way he met with misfortune and adversity, including attack by bandits, rescue by
Bedouins The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and Ar ...
, fierce sand storms and
dehydration In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental temperature. Mil ...
. Ibn Battuta spent a total of 29 years travelling and covered 75,000 miles (117,000 kilometres) before he finally returned home. He travelled "further than any writer before him ..covering most of the known world", through Africa, Spain, India, China and the Maldives. On Ibn Battuta's return the Sultan of Morocco requested that he relate his experiences, and this was to become what the ''Saudi Gazette'' referred to as "one of the world's most famous travel books", ''
The Rihla ''The Rihla'', formal title ''A Masterpiece to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling'', is the travelogue written by Ibn Battuta, documenting his lifetime of travel and exploration, which according to his descr ...
'' (Voyage).


Film synopsis

With narration by
Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...
, the film, which is "bookended" by scenes from the contemporary Muslim pilgrimage, chronicles the first 18-month-long leg of Ibn Battuta's journey, to Mecca. It was filmed in
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
and
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
in English and Arabic, with Berber in the background. On the way to Mecca, riding alone on horseback, Ibn Battuta was held up by bandits, robbed and nearly killed, but when the leader of the bandits realized that he was a pilgrim, feeling ashamed, he offered to escort Ibn Battuta to Egypt (for a fee). It was a difficult journey by camel across the desert and they were faced with fierce sandstorms, before taking to boats to navigate the
Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest ...
. Reaching Egypt, he handed a letter given to him by a friend to a Sheikh, and based on a
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
(an oral tradition) of the Prophet
Muhammed Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...
, he was advised "to seek knowledge to China", hence his further extensive travels. Ibn Battuta had intended to continue his journey to Mecca by sea, via the port of ‘Aydhab on the
Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
, but war and the dangers that posed made him travel by land through Damascus instead, joining a 10,000-strong caravan of fellow pilgrims along the way, staying with them until they finally reach their destination, Mecca.


Leading actor

According to ''
The Jakarta Post ''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Niskala Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta. ''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian med ...
'', "The lead, Chems Eddine Zinoun, was born in 1980 in Casablanca oroccoand studied classical ballet and the piano. He died in a car accident on 11 November 2008 in Casablanca, where he lived. His portrayal of Ibn Battuta shows a depth of feeling that will remain with audiences long after watching ''Journey o Mecca'."


Reception


Genre

Big Movie Zone described the film's genre as docudrama, whilst a review at that site, remarking that it was the most unusual giant screen film the reviewer had yet seen, called it "a biopic guised as a documentary".


Reviews

According to a review on the ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' in Canada, the IMAX format is best suited to the vast landscapes which Ibn Battuta crossed and less so for the close-ups and market places. As for the Hajj itself, this has been described as "stunning footage". The reviewer writes that "''Journey to Mecca'' succeeds best in capturing the wonder, pageantry and beauty that are the hallmarks of any religion's central celebration. Though it is arguably impossible to catch an image of the Almighty on film, this doc comes as close as any." Ann Coates, reviewing the film at Big Movie Zone, stated that with very little narration, unlike other giant screen productions, this helps the dramatic portrayal of Ibn Battuta and "his dangerous trek". Ross Anthony, also reviewing at BMZ, is of the opinion that the early special effects are nice and moody, though the desert is barren and unappealing. However, "once in Mecca, the images shine." The reviewer finds the acting "very good for the format". Bruce Kirkland of ''Sun Media'' in Canada described ''Journey to Mecca'' as a "beautifully wrought film ... meticulously researched ... everyone, no matter their faith, should see it". ''Trade Arabia'' in the
UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
wrote: "A powerful, larger than life cinematic experience that has the power to educate both young and old. Its message of tolerance and respect will resonate strongly with audiences." The ''Detroit Free Press'' in the USA said: "...dramatic desert landscapes ... unprecedented access to the Great Mosque ... breathtaking aerial views ... a cosmic experience"; and Nick Meyer wrote in ''The Arab American News'' that the film was a "... Breathtaking ... Beautiful, inspiring (story) with many visual delights ... Highly recommended." Martina Zainal of ''The Jakarta Post'' writes that "the photography is stunning and takes us to dizzying heights over grand scenes, and directors of photography Afshin Javadi, Ghasem Ebrahimian and Rafey Mahmood have helped show us a side of Islam that is rarely seen in today’s news. It is a film worth seeing by Muslims and non-Muslims alike." The film has also received positive reviews in Jewish publications. Anthony Frosh and Rachel Sacks-Davis of the Jewish journal ''Galus Australis'' praised the "breathtaking" cinematography, also writing "Whilst Ibn Battuta’s 14th century Hajj was much closer in time to us than our biblical forefathers, his experience of travel was surely much closer to theirs. The isolation, danger and vulnerability that marked his journey surely also marked theirs. And the spiritual gifts that so explicitly mark the journeys of our forefathers are also implicit in Ibn Battuta’s ''Journey to Mecca''."


Endorsement

The film was officially endorsed by
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
n Prince
Turki bin Faisal Al Saud Turki bin Faisal Al Saud ( ar, تركي بن فيصل آل سعود, Turkī ibn Fayṣal Āl Su‘ūd; tr, Türki bin Faysal Al Suud) (born 15 February 1945), known also as Turki Al Faisal, is a Saudi prince and former government official who se ...
al-Faisal, the youngest son of the late King Faisal, former Director General of the kingdom's Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah (General Intelligence Presidency (G.I.P.)), former ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, and former ambassador to the United States who wrote, "Not only does the film represent an accurate and respectful portrayal of Islam, it provides a wonderful opportunity for Muslims to celebrate a revered hero in Ibn Battuta and to honor our faith."


Awards

''Journey to Mecca'' won ''Le Prix Du Public'' Most Popular Film at Le Géode Film Festival, Paris, 2009, and a prize at the
Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.


See also

*
List of Islamic films This is a list of films, television serials and programmes related to Islamic civilization, i.e. Islam, Islamic history and Islamic culture. For ease of classification this article defines the following terms as such: *"Documentary" refers to e ...
* Hajj * Ibn Battuta *
Le Grand Voyage ''Le Grand Voyage'' is a 2004 film written and directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi. The film portrays the relationship between father and son as both embark on a religious pilgrimage trip by car. The film won the Golden Astor for Best Film at the 2005 ...
( French film )


References


External links


Giant Screen: ''Journey to Mecca''
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Journey To Mecca 2009 films 2009 in Islam 2009 documentary films 2009 drama films 2000s Arabic-language films 2000s English-language films American docudrama films Films scored by Michael Brook Films based on non-fiction books Films set in the 14th century Films set in Damascus Films set in Egypt Films set in Saudi Arabia Films shot in Morocco Films shot in Saudi Arabia National Geographic Society films Travelogues Documentary films about Islam 2009 multilingual films American multilingual films 2000s American films