The city, which is buzzing with pilgrims until then, takes a one-day breather as it prepares itself for the influx of pilgrims the next day.

It is because of this that the people of Makkah call this day the “Orphan Day.” With the Grand Mosque particularly quiet, the people of Makkah — particularly women whose husbands work in the Tawafa business — visit the massive prayer complex to offer prayers and circumambulate the Kaaba. Other women use this day to visit their families and go out shopping.

Amna Zawawi said the people of Makkah call this day the Orphan Day because most men have left the city to work in the Haj. “Women have their own traditions on this day. After Asr prayer we gather in the Grand Mosque and stay there until after Isha prayers,” she said.

She added that women cook special Makkan dishes, such as Al-Mugalgal, Bukhari rice, Hareesa and Al-Sallat, on Dul Hijjah 9.

Makkan resident Amin Sayed Mukhtar said the day of Arafat is an opportunity for the city’s people to relax.

“There is a lot of traffic during Haj. We take pride in welcoming pilgrims but the traffic created by buses makes it impossible to move. The only way to drive freely in Makkah is if you have a motorbike,” he said.

He added that Dul Hijjah 9 is a perfect time for him to take his family to the Grand Mosque and spend an entire day there, as it is empty of pilgrims.

Um Mahmoud said that women go to the Grand Mosque in groups. “They spend their time listening to religious lectures, praying and breaking their fasts there. My husband and two elder sons are working in Haj and so this is a perfect time for us women to spend together,” she said.