MAKKAH, 30 December 2006 — The Aziziya District of Makkah has become the new destination of choice for pilgrims performing Haj, thanks to a fatwa issued recently that assured pilgrims that it’s not necessary for them to crowd into Mina.
The monumental significance of the Haj leads many pilgrims to believe that strictly adhering to tradition is vital to making the pilgrimage count for fulfilling their duty to God.
But as the numbers of Hajis increase each year, tradition and strict adherence to the rituals is running up against limited capacities and public safety concerns.
The holy sites reside inside quantifiable space, while the number of Muslims in the world that need to fill that space inside a five-day windows of opportunity each year will increase indefinitely.
It is estimated that Mina can accommodate about 1.5 million people.
An estimated 1.65 million pilgrims have arrived from abroad. Up to one million more people have come from inside Saudi Arabia.
As a result of this logistical challenge, it seems that many pilgrims are making the necessary adjustments, and Aziziya, adjacent to Mina and separated by a hill, has become a popular and less crowded option.
“Reaching the Jamrat area is easy from Aziziya,” said Abdul Rahman Al-Onaizi, the head of Kuwait’s Haj delegation, which is staying in Aziziya. “It’s also very easy to get to the Holy Mosque and back using a major road.”
The area also offers lower prices for accommodations, which has served as an additional incentive.
“Aziziya district is now competing with the central area and attracting more pilgrims who want to stay away from the overcrowding in the central area,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Subaie, a hotel owner in the district, who added that the fatwa helped increase pilgrim traffic in the area.
Today Aziziya has dozens of hotels and residential flats. Room occupancy rates are 100 percent this year.
Nevertheless, neighboring Mina is still packed with people, many of whom aren’t convinced that their Haj will count if they stay anywhere else.
