Man dies chasing bag-snatching monkey

Manama: A Turkish pilgrim died on Monday after falling from Jabal Al Noor (The Mountain of Light) near Makkah while chasing a monkey fleeing with his small bag.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was descending the mountain with fellow Turkish pilgrims visiting the famed Ghar Hira (Hira Cave), one of the most popular tourist sites in Makkah, when the primate snatched his bag.

His countrymen who were not aware of the fall waited for some time before alerting the police, Saudi news site Sabq reported on Tuesday.

A search operation was launched by the civil defence across the mountain until the man’s lifeless body was found. He was taken to King Faisal Hospital and an investigation was launched into his death.

Nayef Al Sharleef, the spokesperson for the civil defence in Makkah, confirmed the tragic incident.

“We received a call at 2.05pm on Monday reporting that a person was missing at Jabal Al Noor,” he said. “The specialised teams made up of officers and servicemen were immediately dispatched to the area and following the search, the lifeless body of a man in his 40s was found. The routine measures in such matters are being taken,” he said.

Ghar Hira is often on the list of the places to visit by pilgrims and tourists keen on more details about the history and visual details of the early days of Islam.

The cave is where Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) spent a great deal of time meditating and where he received his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel.

Although the mountain at 600 metres is not high, climbing up or down it is very strenuous, particularly for older people.

Several social media commenters have called for stairways to be built or ensuring more secure passageways are created to help tourists.

However, traditionalists have staunchly objected to the call, insisting that people should not be allowed to see the cave or climb the mountain as they are not part of any religious duties or genuine traditions of Islam.