Watch: Mecca exhibit showcases Hajj pilgrims' journey

Cairo: More than 50 photos highlighting Muslim pilgrims’ journeys for the annual Hajj pilgrimage are displayed at an exhibition in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site.

The exhibit titled “The Pilgrim’s Journey”, organised by the Mecca mayoralty, is part of efforts to enrich pilgrims’ religious and cultural experiences, a local official said.

“The exhibition aims at highlighting aesthetics of the Hajj journey in its different stages by displaying several photos taken by the mayoralty’s photographers,” said the mayoralty’s institutional communication director Dania bint Abdulqader.

The event also features pictures about religious and historic landmarks in Mecca as well as short films on the Hajj trip via interactive screens.

“The idea of the exhibition aims to document this spiritual journey,” she added.

The exhibit, opened by acting head of the Mecca Mayoralty Saleh Al Turki, was unveiled as Saudi Arabia expects more than 2 million pilgrims from around 160 countries in this year’s Hajj, the biggest since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Hajj, one of Islam’s five obligatory duties, begins Monday in and around Mecca.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, has put its Hajj-related agencies on maximum alert to ensure comfort for the large numbers of pilgrims.

Authorities in Mecca, known as the Holy Capital, has set up 28 service centres at the holy sites and provided them with all equipment and manpower to serve pilgrims.

Healthcare and food services are also provided for pilgrims whose numbers are set to return to their pre-epidemic levels this season.

Saudi authorities have, moreover, maintained a long network of roads used by pilgrims as part of Hajj preparations.

Saudi Arabia has said there will be no limits on the numbers and ages of pilgrims converging from across the globe for this year’s Hajj, reversing earlier restrictions prompted by COVID-19.