AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Since the dispatch of pilgrims started earlier this month, the number of Iranians arriving in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj has exceeded 26,150.
According to the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, more than 15,600 of them are now in the holy city of Mecca.
They had first arrived in Medina in 130 batches, the website of the organization reported.
They stayed in Medina for 5 days, visiting the Prophet’s Mosque and the Baqi Cemetery before leaving for Mecca.
A total of 87,550 pilgrims from Iran will take part in this year’s Hajj rituals.
They will arrive in Saudi Arabia and return home via the Medina and Jeddah international airports.
Last year, some 85,000 Iranians took part in the Hajj pilgrimage, marking a 114% rise compared to the year before which saw restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every year, except for the years that the number of pilgrims was reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly three million Muslims from around the world gather in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual Hajj.
Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca that every able-bodied and financially able Muslim is obliged to undertake at least once during their lifetime.
The annual pilgrimage is regarded as one of the pillars of Islam and the largest act of mass pilgrimage in the world.
It is also a demonstration of Muslims’ unity and their submission to Allah.
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