In 2012 I was lucky enough to take part in a pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca, organised by the Association Friends of Islam in Bruxelles. On my arrival in Medina, I felt my soul shift into a timeless dimension.
Medina: the oasis of peace
The city that houses the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad is bathed in a soothing light. What touched me most? The radiant friendliness of the inhabitants, the vibrancy of benevolence that seems to permeate every stone in the city. At the Friday prayer, attended by around 300,000 worshippers, I had the impression that they were all one body. Never before had I experienced such collective fervour – or felt so strongly that I belonged to the same humanity. On leaving the Prophet's Mosque, a Jordanian woman said to me: ‘Show the Westerners what Islam really is.’ It was like a mission entrusted to my objective.
Mecca: the world in miniature
The spiritual centre of Islam, the House of God (Bayt Allah) stands where Abraham and Ishmael laid the foundations of the Ka'aba. This sacred cube, draped in black veil and perfumed with mystery, mesmerised me from the first moment I saw it.
What moved me most? Seeing nearly 2.5 million souls from the four corners of the world join together five times a day in the same prayer. A silent brotherhood that transcends all borders.
Mecca doesn't just bring people together, it acts like a powerful energy vortex. I experienced a real inner reset there, as if every cell in my being was being realigned. You can't forget moments like that: they're imprinted on your soul forever.
The universal language of kindness
Under my headscarf, my European eyes revealed my origin! Yet women from Iran, Yemen and Morocco greeted me with smiles and hands on the heart. An elderly Saudi woman delicately served me tea with bread and fresh dates. Yes, truly, hospitality is beyond words.
After the trip
Back in Switzerland, at a screening, my photos brought those sacred moments to life. What was even more touching was that several women told me that this testimony had convinced them to perform their Umrah. They had come full circle.
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The Kaaba in Mecca. A cubic edifice measuring 11 metres on each side and 15 metres high, covered in black silk and cotton fabric. It houses the Black Stone, traditionally thought to be a meteorite brought by the angel Gabriel. An important shrine before the advent of Islam, the Kaaba is the most sacred place in the religion.
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The Masjid al-Haram: the Sacred Mosque is the largest mosque in the world.
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Date vendors.
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From the site of the Battle of Uhud.
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Mount Arafat.
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At dawn in Medina.
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One of the eight minarets of the Prophet's mosque in Medina.
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A man meditates in front of the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
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Sunrise over the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
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View of al Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet's mosque in Medina. This is Islam's second holiest site.
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Medina's only cemetery, where members of the Prophet's family and companions are buried.
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Before Friday prayers, this woman offers small cakes.
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A welcoming Saudi woman. Her hospitality touched me deeply: she offered me tea, bread and fresh dates – an ordinary encounter transformed into a moment of grace.
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After morning prayer, a woman reads the Koran.
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11pm: a group of Iranians pray in slow procession before the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
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Inside the Masjid-an-Nabawi, the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.
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Inside the mosque in Mecca.
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The Dome of the Prophet marks the site of the Prophet Muhammad's tomb.
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Inside the mosque in Mecca.
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Climbing the 1,200 steps of Mount Jebel Nour takes some effort, but the reward – the cave of Hira, where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation – is well worth the effort.
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Entrance to the cave of Hira, where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel in 610, marking the birth of Islam.
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From the summit of Mount Jebel Nour, a man prays in solitude. Since the dawn of time, spirituality has sprung from the silence of the mountains – a sacred bond between man and nature that has endured through the ages.
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A couple reads the Koran in the Prophet's mosque in Mecca.
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Islam's very first mosque at Quba, near Medina.
Photos © Catherine Touaibi