Gateway to Mecca: The Story of the Haj Terminal (1980)

Duration: 30:18:00

Year Published: 1980

Sound: sound

Description: Produced by Robert Yarnall Richie Productions for Owens-Corning Fiberglas, this 1980 industrial film chronicles the design and construction of a dedicated terminal at the new King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Sauda Arabia, for Muslims taking part in the Hajj (spelled Haj here). The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the Kaaba, or the “House of God,” located at the center of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. One of the Five Pillars of Islam, the journey is a mandatory religious rite that all adult Muslims must carry out at least once in their lifetimes if they are capable. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, a Chicago-based architectural firm, the Hajj Terminal in an open-air facility with a tent-like roofing system made from Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric suspended over pylons and grouped together in modules. Owens-Corning Fiberglas manufactured the roofing fabric and cables. The company also oversaw assembly. Construction on the airport began in 1974, opening for service in 1981. Robert Yarnall Richie, who produced and directed this film, was a freelance industrial photographer and filmmaker who worked with various large corporations in Texas and around the globe.