Stoning of The Devil - Replacement of The Pillars

Replacement of The Pillars

Until 2004 the three jamarāt (singular: jamrah) were tall pillars. After the 2004 Hajj, Saudi authorities replaced the pillars with 26 m (85 ft) long walls for safety; many people were accidentally throwing pebbles at people on the other side. To allow easier access to the jamarāt, a single-tiered pedestrian bridge called the Jamaraat Bridge was built around them, allowing pilgrims to throw stones from either ground level or from the bridge.

The jamarāt are named (starting from the east) the first or smallest jamrah (Arabic: aj-jamrah al-'ūlā or aj-jamrah aṣ-ṣughrā‎), the middle jamrah (aj-jamrah al-wusṭā), and the largest jamrah or Jamrah of Aqaba (aj-jamrah al-kubrā or jamrat al-caqaba). Before 2004، the distance between the small and middle jamarāt was 150 m (490 ft); between the middle and large jamarāt it was 225 m (738 ft).

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