São Paulo – This year’s Hajj began this Thursday (7); Saudi Arabia is receiving one million Muslim pilgrims. The government informed preparations were completed to accommodate the worshippers in Mina, seven kilometers away from the Great Mosque, where they will stay in tents with air conditioning to fight the intense heat of the desert summer, with average temperatures of 42º C. Pictured above, Muslim worshippers praying around the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
The pilgrimage to Mecca runs until July 12. Pilgrims were vaccinated against COVID-19, and about 850,000 came from abroad. It is the highest number of Muslims allowed on Hajj since the pandemic outbreak. The pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam.
According to authorities, four hospitals and 26 health centers have been installed in Mina. Not all pilgrims wear masks, but many use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
*With information from the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
