Watch the Stunning Pictures of Mecca taken from Space by Astronaut Hazzaa
Making history as the first Emirati to reach the International Space Station, Astronaut Hazzaa is on his way to put the Gulf region on the map, quite literally.
On Wednesday, he posted a surreal aerial photograph of the Makkah- the holiest Islamic site in the world- on his official Instagram account. He captioned the photo “‘As the place that lives in the hearts of Muslims, and they turn to for prayers.’ An incredible image of Mecca from the @iss.”
He then went on to share yet another image, which showed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in its full glory, from space. The country glittered below as he shared the photo with the caption “Hazza al-Mansouri takes a photo of the UAE illuminating at night from the International Space Station. Night view of the #UAE taken by @astro_hazzaa from the @iss”
He also shared another photo with the caption “From the happiest astronaut to the happiest people, here is history — here the Emirates from space. From the happiest astronaut to the happiest nation… this is history, this is the UAE from space.”
He then went on to post a photo of North Africa from the sky, captioning it “A picture of North Africa taken from the @iss. Do you spot the Nile River?”
He wore the traditional Emirati dress on board and even treated the crew to traditional Emirati snacks and sweets. He participated in experiments including a time-perception study where he was blindfolded.
Hazzaa Mansouri has made history by being the first Emirati to be sent to ISS. He was launched into space from the same launchpad that sent the Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin. He was roared and cheered for by a large crowd that assembled at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai.
The tallest skyscraper in the world, Burj Khalifa, lit up in his honour and for celebrations when at the moment of the launch. The event is being heavily covered in Arab media as a landmark move for the people.
