MINA: A large number of makeshift shops had sprung up in the tent city of Mina to serve the pilgrims during their stay there. Souq Afriki on King Fahd Street in Mina was a place where pilgrims of African nationalities flocked to taste food prepared in traditional ways. The street had a row of makeshift shops selling meat specialties as well as other eatable items, although they barely met Saudi health regulations.

Those running the shops were of the view they were serving pilgrims from their countries. One of the shop owners, Adam Idress, said he was doing a good service by providing sacrificial meat to pilgrims who otherwise would not have got it because of being away from home. “To them it gives a feeling they are at home,” Idress said. He insisted there was nothing bad with those dishes and all precautions had been taken while preparing them. But, the way the food was sold in the open — flies hovering and sitting all over — contradicted his claim.

Arab News noticed that a few shops were selling even rotten meat. One such shop was very close to the Nigerian Pilgrim Welfare Center, but those at the center seemed indifferent to what was happening there.

“I don’t know what they are selling and why should I bother, it’s up to those who are buying these foodstuffs to check,” said an official at the center.

A Sudanese pilgrim, Adam Saeed, who was relishing the meat dish prepared on charcoal said it was good, adding that most of the dishes available at other shops were not to his liking. “At least here in Souq Afriki we get our own food,” he said. “Even if the meat is not prepared as per health regulations, I find it tasty and to my satisfaction. And moreover I have no choice.”

Some open-air stalls were selling fish and making fast bucks. They were ignorant of the fact that their food might cause food poisoning to pilgrims.

“We don’t have so many utensils and other things to cook food properly. This is how we have been preparing it for so many years now and nobody has complained of any such problem after eating our stuff,” said Aziza Ahmed Sanousi, a Chadian woman.

Shops at Souq Afriki not only sold foodstuffs, but everything from household items to an aphrodisiac made of ostrich’s fat called “Dahn Naom Asly” for SR40 per bottle. A lot of people, especially from Arab countries, were buying what they thought was a magical remedy to enhance potency.

“I have sold almost 300 bottles of Dahn Naom Asly during the last two days. People trust our prescription. It is better than Viagra,” said Abu Baker, an Ethiopian. But Abu Baker had no clinical evidence to prove his claim.

Souq Afriki offered a lot of other things — beautifully crafted handbags, hats, shawls and prayer beads. Interestingly, a Pakistani national was doing brisk business selling his stuff. “I put my stall every year at this place as African pilgrims like my prayer beads. They are traditional ones from rural Sindh. I sell them for SR10 only, so many people buy it,” said Zulfiqar Muhammed.

A Sudanese woman, Khadija Fadhil, was selling hats made of jute for SR4. And she had a lot of buyers too.

“These are very light hats and protect people from heat. This is our traditional hat which even non-Africans like to wear,” said Fadhil.