An Adelaide photographer has offered a rare insight into sacred sites of Saudi Arabia after secretly capturing his pilgrimage to the cities of Mecca and Medina.

Authorities have traditionally discouraged pilgrims from photographing the two sites, fearing it could detract from the focus of worship and turn the pilgrimage into a tourist attraction.

But as technology evolves with phone cameras and small cameras, some images have slipped through the cracks.

Photographer Mark Zed with his exhibition. ( ABC News: Sowaibah Hanifie )

Mark Zed captured his own journey on a mobile phone, slipping it out after performing rituals while the guards in the sanctuary were not looking.

He said he wanted to convey a story of faith born from the harsh environment of the Saudi Arabian desert where Islam's holiest sites are situated.

At the heart of Mecca is the cubical structure, the Kaaba, which is considered the house of God in Islam.

The 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe must face the direction of Mecca to pray and are required to pay visit (Hajj) to the site once in a lifetime, if they are financially able.

Mr Zed said he was nervous before travelling to Saudi Arabia because he did not know what to expect and had found little information on the internet to give him comfort.

"You hear so much stuff in the media and it all seems to be very negative," he said.

"You only hear of horror stories so I was really quite nervous."

The floor area at Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) is 1.5 million square metres. ( Supplied: Mark Zed )

Selfies and Snapchat in places of worship

Snapchat stories of Hajj were first posted in 2015 — the first time people outside the faith saw a glimpse of the area reserved for worshippers.

The arches of Masjid an-Nabawi are in classic Saudi style. ( Supplied: Mark Zed )

Mr Zed said it was not unusual to see people now taking selfies and facetiming family while circling the Kaaba in an ancient act of worship.

He described his visit like being stuck in a time warp as the Government tried to maintain a sacred history but also keep up with the demands of the modern world.

"It's almost like the history of Islamic civilisations is almost non-existent because everything feels new and current," Mr Zed said.

Mr Zed said many of the historical sites, including one the first mosques ever built, had been given little maintenance because the focus was on accommodating the growing number of pilgrims.

"The commercial focus, [in Mecca] I just wasn't prepared for," he said.

"The shopping, the jewellery, the food, it was all very commercially driven ... what was particularly striking was people would come from a 12-storey shopping mall to the holy mosque."

"It almost detracted a little from the spiritual experience because it was in such contrast to the philosophies of modesty."

Mr Zed has curated an exhibition of his photos, with which he hoped to balance his romanticised pilgrimage experience with the "sad" story of change.

Sorry, this video has expired Worshippers surround the cubical structure at the heart of Mecca

Medina a more simple affair

About 437 kilometres away from Mecca is Medina, the location of key Islamic figure the Prophet Mohammad's mosque and grave.

He said his experience in the city of Medina was very different to Mecca with less extravagance and a greater emphasis on simplicity.

He said he was brought to tears on first entering the sanctuary of the Medina mosque.

"Everyone heading the prayer all in unison — it was an overwhelming feeling of community when everyone puts aside their culture and political difference to get down to the business of prayer," he said.

"It had a beautiful feeling of tranquillity. You kind of get overwhelmed by the magnitude of people worshipping in one direction."