Experiencing Hajj – in virtual reality
Digital companies Bigitec Studio and Labbaik VR are creating an 'emotional experience' with digital walk-throughs of Makkah's holy sites
While the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia has been drastically scaled back for the second year running, due to the pandemic, a growing library of software is giving Muslims a digital opportunity of spiritual connection with the holy sites.
This new category of apps aims to recreate the experience of visiting the holy city and its sites through digital simulations.
In 2019, Bigitec Studio, a German developer of several Islamic-focused apps, including Muslim 3D, released a virtual demo of the Great Mosque in Makkah. The mosque surrounds the Kaaba, the sacred cube-shaped building.
The subsequent closure of the Great Mosque due to Covid-19, boosted the popularity of the app, which has now been downloaded more than a million times.
See the full story here: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2021/07/08/experiencing-hajj-in-virtual-reality/
