Cairo: As many as 300 tonnes of the Zamzam water are provided daily for the faithful at the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina.
The blessed water is supplied directly from the holy city of Mecca to a storage plant at the mosque to reach 9,000 tonnes monthly so as to cater for the drinking needs of the worshippers there, the Saudi news agency SPA reported.
A lab department, affiliated to the General Authority for Care of the Two Holiest Mosques, checks the safety and quality of the water by examining 80 samples per day taken from all sources of Zamzam inside the mosque and the surrounding courtyards.
Zamzam is particularly popular with overseas pilgrims, who present it as a gift to relatives and friends after home return.
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More than 2 million Muslims from across the globe are expected to attend next month’s Hajj pilgrimage in and around Mecca. Thousands of Muslims head to Medina before or after performing Hajj.
The early groups of pilgrims started arriving in Saudi Arabia from several countries over recent days ahead of Hajj, which is expected to commence this year on June 14, depending on the sighting of the new moon.
Hundreds of the faithful initially land at Medina’s international airport where they are welcomed in their native languages and presented with commemorative gifts. They flock to the Prophet’s Mosque to offer prayers and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa.
More than 280 million Muslims prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque during 2023, according to official Saudi figures.
