Haj pilgrimage on horseback by 3 Muslims from Spain to Mecca retraces a 15th century route
Trio brave elements and enjoy hospitality of fellow Muslims on 8,000km pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for haj, a route not taken in 500 years
Three Spanish pilgrims performing the haj in Saudi Arabia rode on horseback to Mecca, travelling thousands of kilometres in snow and rain along a route they said had not been taken for more than 500 years.
Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to arrive in Saudi Arabia in May.
It was an emotional moment for the trio when they reached Mecca. No pilgrim had travelled this way since 1491, they said.
Harkassi said the group’s path from Spain took them across about 8,000km (nearly 5,000 miles) before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Great Mosque of Mecca.
“We had crossed so many kilometres to be there and Allah had replied to our wish,” he said from Mount Arafat, southeast of Mecca. “We were in front of the Kaaba and had the opportunity to touch it. So, that 8,000km became nothing.”
During their months-long journey, they came across scenic stretches of nature, as well as historical landmarks in Syria, including the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque.