MECCA, Saudi Arabia
A total of 92,500 Turkish citizens performed the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia this year, the head of Diyanet, Türkiye’s top religious body, said on Saturday.
The number includes Diyanet staff on duty in the holy city, Ali Erbas told reporters at the Turkish religious body’s Hajj Administration Center in Mecca.
He said this year’s figure was the highest in decades, adding that last year as many as 37,770 Turkish citizens took part, while in the previous years it was always below 80,000.
Erbas also noted that 25 Turkish citizens died during the Hajj period this year.
Hajj, the pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest site Kaaba in Mecca, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are required to perform it at least once in their life if they have the means to do so.
This year, Hajj is held between June 26 and July 1, with the celebration of Eid al-Adha taking place on June 28.
