Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
On November 20, 1979, at 5:30 AM, hundreds of heavily armed men took over the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the beginning of the “Siege of Mecca.” Within minutes, they transformed the holiest shrine of Islam into a fortress—and a trap for almost 100,000 pilgrims inside. This film finally reveals what really happened during the siege, what consequences it had and how it still affects the world today.
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On November 20, 1979, at 5:30 AM, hundreds of heavily armed men took over the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the beginning of the “Siege of Mecca.” Within minutes, they transformed the holiest shrine of Islam into a fortress—and a trap for almost 100,000 pilgrims inside. This film finally reveals what really happened during the siege, what consequences it had and how it still affects the world today.
Welcome to PBS America, a channel curated for an international audience from America's Public Broadcasting Service, PBS. This is a factual focussed channel including award-winning American history, current affairs and science.
SIGN UP to our UK broadcast channel weekly highlights at pbsamerica.co.uk
FOLLOW us on X @PBSAmerica
LIKE us on Facebook.com/pbsamerica
