All Turkish pilgrims arrive in Mecca for Hajj

 ISTANBUL JUN 11, 2024 – 1:12 PM GMT+3

Muslim worshippers pray around the Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, June 4, 2024 (AFP Photo)

The Turkish pilgrims’ journey to Mecca for Hajj, which started with the departure of the first group on May 9, was completed on Monday.

The pilgrims, supervised and organized by the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and travel companies affiliated with the Union of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), arrived in Mecca in the days leading up to Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha.

Some pilgrims visited Medina, while others headed directly to Mecca.

During their time in Mecca, the pilgrims visited the Kaaba, performed Umrah, read the Holy Quran, completed Tawaf and visited other holy sites.

Diyanet President Ali Erbaş announced that 84,942 Turkish citizens will travel to Mecca for pilgrimage this year. Fifty-three percent of this number are women, 47% are men, and the average age of pilgrim candidates is 60.

In January, the head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye and the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah signed the protocol allowing Turkish citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

In 2023, 92,500 Turkish citizens undertook the annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to Diyanet.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia awarded Diyanet the first-place award in the category of “Hajj Organization Providing the Most Variety of Services to Pilgrims” in 2023.