Mashable: Barnawi is making history as the first Saudi woman in space and the first Arab woman to visit the ISS.

The first Saudi woman in space, Rayana Barnawi shared a stunning glimpse of Mecca from the International Space Station (ISS).

The first Saudi woman in space shared a mesmerizing video on Twitter on Friday, showing the holy city of Mecca glowing in the dark. The Grand Mosque, where millions of Muslims perform the pilgrimage every year, shone brightly in the center of the video as she zoomed in.

بعد ما خلصت تجاربي لليوم صادف مرورنا فوق مكة المكرمة ،
نور على نور #نحو_الفضاء

Makkah from the space #KSA2Space pic.twitter.com/rh3kZnJw0N

— RAYYANAH BARNAWI (@Astro_Rayyanah) May 26, 2023
Barnawi said she captured the video after finishing her experiments for the day. “We happened to pass over Mecca,” she wrote. “It was such a beautiful and peaceful sight.”

The video was quickly viral on Twitter, with thousands of likes and retweets. Many people praised Barnawi for her achievement and expressed their awe at the view from space. Some also thanked her for sharing the video and inspiring others.

Barnawi is one of the two Saudi astronauts who blasted off to space on May 21st from Florida, along with NASA’s Peggy Whitson and entrepreneur John Shofner. The launch was arranged by Axiom Space, a private company that aims to build a commercial space station.

The crew arrived at the ISS after 15 hours of flight and are conducting 14 scientific experiments in microgravity. Barnawi tweeted on Thursday that she was testing the response of immune cells to infections using a live experiments box.

Barnawi is making history as the first Saudi woman in space and the first Arab woman to visit the ISS. She is also breaking stereotypes and inspiring young girls in the region to pursue their dreams in science and technology.

Cover Photo: Courtesy of ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet , Credits: European Space Agency