The hajj in a time of pandemic

In a normal year, millions of Muslims flock to Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage. But with COVID-19 still a global threat, only a few thousand have been allowed to make the journey this year, and those that were allowed to travel, have to abide by a set of strict rules.

  • Preparations at the Grand Mosque in Mecca (photo: Getty Images/AFP)
    Ahead of this year's hajj, the most important pilgrimage for Muslims, crews at the Grand Mosque were busy with more than just the usual cleaning and maintenance work. To keep people at a distance from each other and avoid spreading the virus, strips of tape have been stuck to the ground around the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site, showing people where to walk
  • Social distancing at the Grand Mosque in Mecca (photo: Getty Images/AFP)
    This year, pilgrims at the Grand Mosque are required to keep the prescribed distance from each other, circling the sanctuary counter clockwise seven times while staying at least 1.5 metres from the next pilgrim. They are also strictly forbidden to touch the Kaaba
  • Saudi security officers wearing protective masks (photo: Reuters/Saudi Ministry of Media)
    Wearing face masks, these security officers have set an example for the pilgrims chosen to participate in the 2020 hajj. The pilgrims chosen are all either Saudi nationals or foreigners living in Saudi Arabia; arrivals by plane weren't allowed this year. Saudi Arabia has been severely affected by the pandemic, with more than 270,000 infections reported as of late July and around 3,000 to 4,000 new cases every day
  • Muslim pilgrims wear protective masks on their way to the Meeqaat (photo: Reuters/Saudi Ministry of Media)
    Faithful Muslims are obliged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lives, as long as they are healthy and of age and "if they find a possibility to do so", according to the Quran (surah 3, verse 97). The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Pictured here: Muslim pilgrims wear protective masks on their way to the Meeqaat
  • Saudi officials are seen where Muslim pilgrims will be allowed to stand to cast stones at pillars symbolising Satan (photo: Reuters/Saudi Press Agency)
    The ritual stoning of Satan at Mina, near Mecca, is part of the hajj pilgrimage. Here too, people must keep their distance. The pilgrims also receive disinfected stones for the ritual, a prayer rug and hand sanitiser
  • Pilgrims circumnambulating the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca (photo: Getty Images/AFP)
    Since 1999, between 1 and 3 million Muslims have thronged to Mecca every year for the hajj. This year, however, crowds were more manageable — only 10,000 people were allowed to attend. Participants were chosen in an online process. Their temperature was checked upon arrival in Mecca, and they were quarantined for two weeks
  • Muslim pilgrims walk back to their tents during the annual hajj pilgrimage on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Mina, 2018 (photo: picture-alliance/AP/D. Yasin)
    In 2018, more than 2 million Muslims made the journey to Mecca, with many staying in this tent city in Mina. In addition to its religious significance, the hajj is also an economic event: past pilgrimages have netted Saudi Arabia more than €10 billion ($11.8 billion) annually. In Mecca and the surrounding area, hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on the event