Saudi Arabia has released never-before-seen images of The Black Stone, the rock set in the southeastern corner of the Kaaba, the ancient building at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in the faith.
Hajj 2022 is set to begin this Thursday, July 7, and conclude Tuesday, July 12, in Islam’s holiest city.
The images went viral, with the hashtag #BlackStone trending throughout the region during their release.
See inside the Kaaba
The photos are remarkably detailed. According to authorities, the image is 49,000 megapixels, a combination of over 1,000 photos that were shot over a period of seven hours and then stitched together for more than two full days. The process is called photo stacking.
“With Focus Stack Panorama, which uses a technology in which images are combined with [various] clarity, in order to produce a single image with the greatest accuracy,” said the official account of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.
The end result shows the ancient stone in stunning detail, which is believed by Muslims to be sent by God and some traditions believe it dates back to the time of Adam and Eve, placed in the Garden of Eden to protect Adam.
The Black Stone is comprised of eight small rocks which are affixed to a larger stone. The larger stone is encased in a silver frame.
The Prophet Ibrahim PBUH is believed to be the first to place the stone, with the Prophet Mohammed PBUH placing the stone in its current placement inside the Kaaba in 605 CE, before the beginnings of Islam.
Want to see more inside the Kaaba? Watch here.