Mina

Mina (City of Tent) 
About 5 miles (or 8 km) to the east of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is a valley known as Mina. During the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, visitors are encouraged to visit the historic Islamic site of Mina. This is due to the fact that on the 8th, 11th, and 12th nights of Dhul Hijjah, and sometimes on the 13th night, pilgrims from all over the globe congregate at Mina. Mina Hajj, where the three stone pillars of the Jamarat are located, is also an important symbol for the stoning ceremony. In addition to its more common name, "City of Tent," Mina has another name. To accommodate the nearly 3 million pilgrims that attend Hajj annually, the Saudi government has set up over 100,000 air-conditioned tents in a 20 km2 area of Mina.