Nadhira Adiatri, 25, remembers taking photos with her family in front of the Kaaba at the Al-Haram Grand Mosque during her umrah (minor haj) to Islam’s holiest city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, five years ago.

At that time — before smartphone image-sharing apps Snapchat and Instagram became a part of everyday life — security guards at the mosque were already hostile toward people taking photos in the holy compound,
she recalled.

“I only took a few photos using my smartphone camera to capture memorable moments, but I did it quietly to avoid disturbing others and only when the guards were not around,” Nadhira, now a housewife, said on Friday.

While the use of camera phones was still tolerated, the use of professional cameras was prohibited. Guards at the mosque’s entrances, who screened people’s bags, would ban people carrying such cameras from entering.

As the use of social media has swept the world by storm, pilgrims to the Al-Haram and Nabawi mosques in Medina do not wanted to be left behind, with many taking selfies and video recordings while walking around the Kaaba or listening to sermons.

However, the Saudi Arabian government banned pilgrims from taking photos and videos using any devices for any purpose at Islam’s two holiest mosques. The change was communicated by Saudi’s Foreign Ministry through a diplomatic note sent to accredited representatives of foreign countries on Saudi Arabian soil, including Indonesia’s embassy in Riyadh, which received the letter on Nov. 15.

Saudi authorities stated that the measure was imposed to protect and preserve the holy sites, prevent disturbances of worshippers and ensure tranquility while performing acts of worship.

“In the case of any violation of the ban, security guards have been instructed to confiscate the photos and the camera if needed,” the statement said, adding that the change should be disseminated to every haj and umrah tour operator in their respective countries.

In recent years, many pilgrims to both holy sites have posted pictures on Instagram and Facebook, ranging from posing in front of the Kaaba, to taking selfies on the upper floor of the Grand Mosque to standing under the umbrella-like canopies at Nabawi Mosque.

Some have even posed in groups, carrying banners or flags of their respective countries in the yards of the two mosques. Critics have said such “touristy acts” detracted from the essence of a pilgrimage as they raised questions about whether the pilgrimage was just a trip to take photos.

Many Indonesians have expressed their disappointment, saying that photos and videos taken at the mosques were meant as mementos, especially as visiting the sites may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I agree it’s annoying when people take too many photos and selfies, but it’s a pity if we are no longer allowed to immortalize the beauty of the Kaaba or the moving dome in Nabawi Mosque,” Nadhira said.

Nur Hikmat, 27, who plans to go on umrah next year, said instead of enforcing the ban over the whole compound, Saudi authorities should determine specific areas to ban picture taking.

Gavin, who recently returned from Mecca, said he had noticed that the ban was already enforced at the Grand Mosque, but that the implementation was not yet strict.

“There were unlucky pilgrims who were stopped by the guards and had their photos deleted from their phones [...] but there were also some guards who just let the pilgrims slide by,” he said.

The Religious Affairs Ministry’s directorate general of haj and umrah would immediately cooperate with associations of umrah travel operators and the Haj Pilgrimage Counseling Group (KBIH) to disseminate information about the ban to hopeful pilgrims during their pilgrimage preparations, ministry spokesperson Mastuki said.

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