Hajj, the Great Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
On the 30th in Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, a large pilgrimage of a large number of Muslims visiting the sacred place all at once, the most important day of “Hadge”, the pilgrim is wary of the spread of the new coronavirus infection. I prayed all at once.
"Hadge" is a religious obligation that Muslims must pilgrimage to Mecca in western Saudi Arabia in a fixed order over the course of several days, and it is a religious obligation that must be performed once in a lifetime.
The 30th is the most important day for pilgrims to gather in the land of Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad was the last to preach.
This time, in order to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the Saudi authorities accepted pilgrims only from within Japan, and the number was greatly reduced.
At the mosque in Arafat, pilgrims in white cloth arrived in masks, took temperature measurements, and then prayed all at once with a gap between them.
The Hajj is an important foreign currency acquisition method for Saudi Arabia, which attracts over 2 million people from all over the world every year, but it is severely restricted in local movement, and many hotels and restaurants are also closed. I will.
In Saudi Arabia, around 2,000 new people are infected with the new coronavirus every day, and the authorities are strict about disinfecting the holy place and isolating pilgrims so that the infection will not spread due to "Hudge". I remain vigilant.
The city of Mecca is quiet
In Mecca in the western part of Saudi Arabia, where "Hudge" is held, strict movement restrictions continue to prevent new coronavirus infections, and almost no human figure is seen around the sacred place.
Mecca, where only Muslims are allowed to enter, is crowded with a large number of pilgrims from inside and outside Japan every year during the period of "Hudge", but this time the authorities concerned that the new coronavirus infection spreads. Imposes strict travel restrictions.
Few people and cars can be seen in the footage of the holy mosque taken on the 29th, and the city is quiet.
Mecca Hotel is also in trouble
Pilgrim hotels in Mecca complain of financial hardship due to a significant drop in guests.
There are dozens of hotels for pilgrims in the vicinity of the “Kaba Temple” in the holy city of Mecca, but since the entry to Mecca is severely restricted as a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, the number of guests is greatly increased. It is decreasing.
Of these, a hotel located about 3 km from the Temple of Kaaba is filled with pilgrims from Pakistan and Turkey every year during the period of "Hadge", but since the beginning of April, there is only one guest. It means that there is no mood.
At the hotel, about 50 employees have shortened working hours, reduced salaries to 60%, and continue to operate, but a Saudi Arabian man in charge said, "I think I will be able to do this by about October. However, if this situation continues, I will not be able to stand up, so I want customers to come back soon."