A Turkish cyclist has gone on a gruelling journey from Germany heading to Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s annual Hajj pilgrimage due in June.
The 26-year-old cyclist Burak Ozturk has started his trip from Stuttgart in Germany and documents his adventure on social media, reported Saudi news website Sabq.
The cyclist has no specific arrival date in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, but he is confident that he will there before the Hajj season gets underway.
The 6,000-kilometre journey will pass through several countries, including Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece, Türkiye, Syria, and Jordan, before arrival in Saudi Arabia, Islam’s birthplace.
Ozturk had originally planned his Hajj journey two years ago, a plan derailed by family circumstances.
But this year, he was able to finalize all preparations, including the necessary legal procedures, to ascertain a safe and smooth journey to Mecca.
Hajj in and around Mecca is one of Islam’s five obligatory duties. Muslims, who can physically and financially afford Hajj, have to undertake it at least once in a lifetime.
Last month, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah opened registration for Saudis and Muslim foreign residents wishing to perform this year’s Hajj rites.
Around 1.8 million Muslims, including 1.6 million from abroad, performed last year’s Hajj.
