JEDDAH, 9 February 2003 — More than 1,000 Turkish pilgrims arrived here early yesterday aboard 24 buses for a 24-hour stopover before proceeding to Makkah.

Parked at the Ministry of Education Stadium, the buses, which had arrived in a convoy, attracted the attention of passing motorists. Each bus had 45 pilgrims on board, including women and children.

Pilgrims and bus drivers were seen relaxing in two large tents erected along the concrete dividers of the parking lot at the stadium.

“We took six days to reach here from Istanbul,” Mustafa Shenol, a 39-year-old driver of one of the buses, told Arab News. “This is nothing new for me. I’ve been driving pilgrims for the past nine years. I look forward to this every year, as I consider it a sacred duty,” said Shenol, who comes from Antalia.

Sedat Ahmad, 29, who lives in Istanbul, said: “This is the first time I’ve driven a bus with Haj pilgrims. I enjoyed every moment of it because I know that I will also be performing Haj.”

Sami Atikun, a 56-year-old businessman from Manisa, said that this was his first Haj. “I’ve been planning to come every year, but my business preoccupation came in my way. This time, I was determined to perform Haj and here I am.”

Ali Essam Biger, 43, another first-timer, said he chose to come by bus because he wanted to see the Kingdom’s cities and towns. “Its buildings and roads are impressive. I’ve heard of the Kingdom’s generous expansion plans in Makkah and am eager to see them all,” he told Arab News.

Unal Akin, 40, who works as a management executive in a multinational company in Istanbul, said: “I’ve been seeing the pilgrimage on TV all these years. I saved money over the past few years to be able to perform Haj with my wife, parents and three children. I thank Allah for fulfilling my long-cherished desire.”

According to Sultan Ghanaim, a 20-year-old supervisor of Minar, a local company that has been looking after the welfare of Turkish pilgrims, most of them were performing Haj for the first time. A majority of them are middle-aged men and women. “A few people are 65 and above,” he added.

Ibrahim Al-Mousa, 54, a Syrian driver, said: “I brought 40 pilgrims from Damascus. For me, driving Haj pilgrims to the Kingdom is a service to God.”

Aside from Turkey and Syria, busloads of pilgrims have also come from Jordan. Some are traveling in their own vehicles.

Pilgrims have also been coming by sea from countries across the Red Sea, such as Sudan and Egypt.