'48-Degree Heatwave' Marks Start of Largest Islamic Event... 1.5 Million Enter Saudi Arabia

Regular Pilgrimage Held in Saudi Mecca and Medina
Authorities Advise "Drink Water and Use Umbrellas to Prevent Heatstroke"

The largest Islamic event, the regular pilgrimage (Hajj), began on the 14th (local time) in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Hajj, held annually from the 7th to the 12th of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the five mandatory duties that Muslims must perform and is the most sacred religious ritual. As long as financial conditions permit, every Muslim must visit Mecca and Medina, the birthplace of Islam, at least once in their lifetime.

On the 13th (local time), Islamic worshippers performing the ritual of circumambulating the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holy city of Saudi Arabia.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to AP and AFP news agencies, Saudi authorities are preparing for health issues such as heatstroke and dehydration among pilgrims due to the scorching heat exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

The Tawaf ritual, which involves circling seven times around the cuboid structure called the Kaaba located at the center of Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Grand Mosque of Mecca, mostly takes place outdoors without shade.

The Saudi Ministry of Health issued a notice on this day stating that daytime temperatures during Hajj could rise up to 48 degrees Celsius, advising, "Drink more than 2 liters of water daily and always carry a parasol."

Saudi Arabia has already recorded over 1.5 million pilgrims entering the country by the previous day and expects the total number, including those arriving later, to exceed 2 million.

Last year, the number of pilgrims was about 1.8 million. In 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was about 2.4 million.

Amid the ongoing eight-month war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, about 4,200 Palestinians from the West Bank of the Jordan River also visited Saudi Arabia this time, AP reported citing Palestinian authorities.

Saudi media reported that more than 1,000 family members of those killed or injured in the Gaza Strip war were officially invited by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and through this, a total of 2,000 people came to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

AP reported that most of these people had already escaped Gaza before the Rafah crossing, the border between Gaza and Egypt, was closed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.