• Rating: PG
• Distributor: SK FILMS INC
• Released: Thursday, October 22, 2009
• Length: 40 minutes

Telling the incredible story of Ibn Battuta, the greatest explorer of the Old World, Journey to Mecca follows his first pilgrimage between 1325 and 1326 from Tangier to Mecca. His perilous journey resonates with adventure while presenting an unforgettable picture of Islamic civilization during the 14th century, culminating with Ibn Battuta's first Hajj. The story is book-ended by a close-up look at the contemporary Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that draws three million Muslims from around the world.

“Journey to Mecca is a wonderful way for people of all races and religions to experience, possibly the greatest expedition on earth,” explains Afroz Ali, Founder of the Al-Ghazzali Centre.

“The Hajj is a once in a lifetime journey that most will never experience - this IMAX experience is the closest many of us will ever get to this great pilgrimage.”

It is the duty of every Muslim to visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime, if possible. The filmmakers behind Journey to Mecca felt it their duty to tell the story of Ibn Battuta, largely unknown in the West, and to explain the Hajj in order to create a bridge between the Muslim and Western worlds and develop an understanding of its ultimate purpose – Peace.

Journey to Mecca marks the first and only time an IMAX® camera has been admitted into the most sacred sanctuary of Islam - the Grand Mosque in Mecca. As The Hajj is strictly for Muslims only, the directors were required to train Muslim cameramen to use the IMAX® cameras to allow them to film in the space.

The narrative drama was filmed in Morocco by the sea at Agadir, doubling for Tangier, circa 1325, and in desert locations near the Algerian border where the production assembled the longest and one of the largest caravans ever filmed – featuring camels, horses, donkeys to sheep and goats in addition to hundreds of extras in period costume.

Moving to Ouarzazate, the epic picture shot on plains lying between the Atlas Mountains, on a man-made river replicating the Nile, at Bedouin encampments, on sand dunes and at an oasis, on sets in studios including a hand-carved Cairo library, and in colourful souks, completing principal photography in the biggest and most meaningful set of all, a historical recreation of Mecca in 1326 where 450 extras performed the Hajj under the tutelage of the local Imam, and other leading experts on the Hajj. Altogether, over 4,500 extras appeared in the film.

Journey to Mecca will take viewers on an incredible voyage through the dynamic landscapes of Saudi Arabia and Morocco as they experience a unique cultural story that is sure to resonate long after they leave the theatre.

More about the film's story

Ibn Battuta is besieged by countless obstacles as he makes his way across the North African desert to Mecca. Along the route he meets an unlikely stranger, the Highwayman who becomes his paid protector and eventual friend. During his travels he is attacked by bandits, dehydrated by thirst, rescued by Bedouins, and forced to retrace his route by a war-locked Red Sea. Ibn Battuta finally joins the legendary Damascus Caravan with thousands of pilgrims bound for Mecca for the final leg of what would become his 5,000 mile, 18 month long journey to Mecca. When he arrives in Mecca, he is a man transformed. We then experience the Hajj as he did over 700 years ago, and, in recognition of its timelessness, we dissolve to the Hajj as it is still performed today, by millions of pilgrims, in some of the most extraordinary and moving IMAX® footage ever presented.

Ibn Battuta would not return home for almost 30 years, reaching over 40 countries and revisiting Mecca five more times to perform the Hajj. He would travel three times farther then Marco Polo. His legacy is one of the greatest travel journals ever recorded. A crater on the moon is named in his honour.

"At the heart of the film is an epic adventure story about an exceptional and driven young man on his perilous year and a half long journey to perform the Hajj in Mecca in 1325, at an amazing time in Islamic history and culture. Ibn Battuta is one of the greatest travelers of all time, but largely unknown to Western audiences. In order to complement and underscore the timelessness of his spiritual quest, we have bookended the film with astounding, first-time ever IMAX® footage of the modern day Hajj, including inside the Holy Mosque and aerials. It is a compelling true story combined with the immersive and stunning IMAX® medium, and guarantees a totally unique and once in a lifetime experience for all audiences, Muslim and non-Muslim." Jonathan Barker, producer.

Rated PG (Mild Violence). Duration 45 minutes.