Jamarat Bridge
Jamarat Bridge is a unique pedestrian bridge in the Mina Valley, on the outskirts of Mecca. It is used by Muslim pilgrims during one part of the Hajj, the stoning of Shaitan. The faithful walk across the bridge and throw stones at the walls, and previously at the pillars. These walls are called jamrah, and in the plural Arabic they are called jamarat. Literally translated, jamra means a small piece of stone or pebble. The bridge was built in 1963 and has been widened several times since then. On festive days, a huge crowd of pilgrims congregate on the Jamarat Bridge, the density of which reaches 5-7 people/m² during rush hours. More than a million people can gather on the bridge and the area around it at a time, which sometimes leads to fatal accidents. Mecca authorities are making every effort to modernize Jamarat and make it safe.
