Ramadan, Radhwa

"Mecca in Snapshots"

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Major: Bioscience

Senior; College of Science and Health

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Abstract

The basis of this paper was to show the history of a city in three specific snapshots, particularly in relation to something important that had been effecting the city for a while. I chose to present Mecca in relation to major disease outbreaks that effected it during 3 specific years: 1910, 1978, and 2000. I chose Mecca because it is one of the most highly visited cities in the world due to the Islamic pilgrimage that all Muslims are obligated to complete at some point in their lifetime. Being both a science major and a muslim, I've always wondered how disease worked differently in this context and city considering the amount, and diverse background, of all the visitors. Therefore, this research paper follows the route of a time traveler who is hoping to complete the Islamic Pilgrimage, also known as Hajj, during the three specific years mentioned above but keeps running into the major outbreaks that happened during those years. Not only is this paper meant to represent the importance and deep meaning of Hajj, but also the ways Mecca has become protected over the years due to the unique circumstances of the city.

Class: Honors 301

Professor: Dr. Carolyn Goffman