Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims arrived at the site of Mina, a few kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Mecca, on Monday to perform one of the main rites of hajj, the great Muslim pilgrimage in western Arabia. saudi.
In blistering heat, worshipers made the journey on foot or in air-conditioned buses to Mina, where they will spend the night before Tuesday’s ascent of Mount Arafat, the culmination of one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. world.
“It’s a worthwhile experience,” said 39-year-old Nigerian Salim Ibrahim, ignoring temperatures that hovered around 45 degrees Celsius.
“Even if the heat gets stronger, I will do the hajj again,” he said.
After performing the rite of “tawaf” — the circumambulation (circumambulation) around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure to which Muslims around the world turn to pray — worshipers will sleep in air-conditioned white tents in Mina on Sunday. .
This place is located in a valley overlooked by rocky mountains, 7 kilometers from the Grand Mosque of Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.
The hajj, which consists of a series of codified rites that take place over several days in the heart of Mecca and its surroundings, is one of the five pillars of Islam.
It must be undertaken by every Muslim at least once in his life if he can afford it.
Those who perform it will be granted the honorary title of “hajj”, which induces respect.
This year, the pilgrimage is expected to be the largest in history, according to Saudi authorities who hope to exceed the number of 2.5 million visitors reached in 2019.
In 2020 and 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, only a few thousand worshipers were welcomed into the kingdom, before the quota was raised to 926,000 last year.
The hajj takes place under tight security to avoid a repeat of the tragedies that have marked its history.
A stampede had notably caused 2,300 deaths in 2015, but no major incident has been reported since.
Helicopters as well as drones equipped with artificial intelligence have been deployed to monitor the flow of pilgrims to Mina, authorities said.
Autonomous buses, using the same technology and capable of carrying up to 11 passengers, have also been introduced.
One of the main risks for pilgrims, however, is the high temperatures in one of the hottest regions in the world.
According to the organizers, four hospitals and 26 health centers have been set up in Mina.
To “avoid sunstroke”, the Saudi Ministry of Health has recommended the use of umbrellas during rituals, calling on those at risk to stay indoors at midday.
Habiba, a Moroccan who was performing the hajj with her husband, was taken care of after feeling unwell from the heat.
“The climate is very hot here compared to Morocco, and we feel exhausted,” said her husband, Rahim Abdennacer, a 62-year-old businessman, as he poured water on his head near the Grande Mecca Mosque.
After the night in Mina, pilgrims will spend several hours on Tuesday praying and reciting the Koran on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his last sermon.
On Wednesday, they will carry out the symbolic stoning of Satan, by throwing stones at places symbolizing the devil, before returning to Mecca for a final circumambulation of the Kaaba.
26/06/2023 12:24:31 – Mina (Arabie saaudite) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP