...Journey to Mecca: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta will be playing at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC from January 14th March 4th, 2010.

Produced by SK Films, Cosmic Picture and National Geographic, Journey to Mecca tells the incredible story of the legendary Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta, who left home in 1325CE to perform the Hajj, and went on to become one of the greatest travelers of all time.

Audiences witness the Hajj as it was experienced in the 14th Century, as well as by millions of people today. Filmed entirely in IMAX, narrated by Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley, and containing more than 10 minutes of never-before-seen footage from inside and above the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Journey to Mecca offers a truly unique and groundbreaking experience. The film presents an unforgettable picture of Muslim life during the Golden age of Islam, while paying special tribute to the most remarkable gathering of people on Earth the Hajj.

Journey to Mecca is currently playing in nearly two dozen cities around the world including Jersey City, Dearborn, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Bradford, Paris, Sydney, Jakarta, Dubai and Al-Khobar. Recently the film won the Most Popular Film Award at the La Géode Film Festival in Paris.
For more information and to view a trailer, please visit the film’s website: www.journeytomeccagiantscreen.com Johnson IMAX® Theater at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is located at 10th Street and Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC 20560. For show times, group reservations, and to purchase movie tickets call-866-868-7774 (toll free), or visit: www.si.edu/imax: In conjunction with Journey to Mecca, the Smithsonian Institution is offering several special programs focused on Islamic and Middle Eastern traditions. These programs include:
Interfaith panel discussion (Tues, February 9th)

*Note

Lecture on Ibn Battuta at the home of Moroccan Ambassador (Wed, February 10th)

Private screening/reception hosted by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia (Wed, February 24th)
Tour of Islamic artwork at the Freer Gallery of Art (Thu, February 25th/ Sat, February 27th)
Evening seminar on the Hajj (Thu, March 4th)

For information on any of these programs or to RSVP, call:                                            866 868 7774         866 868 7774                       866 868 7774         866 868 7774                                     866 868 7774         866 868 7774                       866 868 7774         866 868 7774