Arafat is a plain a few miles away from Makkah,
Saudi Arabia.
It stays uninhabited (empty) for most of the year
It is inhabited (occupied) for one single day a year
This is on one of the days of Hajj (pilgrimage)
It is very crowded on that day.
It is here that the most important part of Hajj takes place and the pilgrims stay there from dawn till sunset ( from early morning till night).
This is around where Arafat is.
The Day of Arafat falls on the 2nd day of Hajj, on the 9th day of the month of Dhul Hijah.
At dawn Muslim pilgrims will make their way from
Mecca to a nearby hillside and plain called
Arafat.
From dawn until sunset, Muslim pilgrims spend the day in supplication and devotion, praying for
God's forgiveness.
Muslims around the world who are not participating in Hajj often spend this day in fasting and devotion.
Makkah: this is where the Kaaba is. This is the city which many years ago started because of the Zam Zam fountain.
Mina: In Mina you stay there for 3 days after Eid ul Adha and you sacrifice the ram like prophet Abraham did. You also throw stones on the pillars representing Shaitan in order to hit the devil like in the story of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and Ismail (as). Then you go back to Arafat.
Muzdalifah: at Muzdalifah you collect pebbles and stones to throw at the 3 Shaitans in Mina. Sometimes it is so busy you don’t arrive there till late at night.