One of the most interesting and satisfying aspects of covering the Haj is the opportunity to meet incredible people. The ones that you meet here become friends for life. The other day this diarist had an opportunity to visit the Ministry of Culture and Information's Haj camp in Mina. It is located on one of the mountaintops that surround the Mina valley. From the rooftop of this building the Haj is broadcast live on Saudi Television channels.

Getting into the building is not easy at all. You have to have proper permission. Merely producing your journalist’s ID is not enough. The security guys who man the entry points to the building refuse to listen to explanations and excuses. They simply demand a proper letter endorsed by the ministry before they allow you in.

We were invited by AFPTV’s Mohammed Hawari. He and his colleague Abdul Hadi Al-Habtoor personally came down and signed the papers that allowed us into the building. The offices were a beehive of activity. The building was full of local and foreign journalists here to cover the Haj. Some of them were heading to a luncheon organized by Crown Prince Naif, others were trying to get some quotes for their story of the day. Many were busy inside the media center, updating their Facebook accounts and tweeting about interesting aspects of the Haj.

***

It was at the media center that we first met a fine academic and columnist from Turkey Dr. Yasin Aktay. He seems to be a very popular Tweeter and Facebooker. He was busy replying to the hundreds of comments that came from his 5,000 Facebook friends.

***

Aktay immediately agreed to talk to Arab News about his experience at the Haj. He revealed some very interesting perspectives. According to him, the average age of pilgrims has come down since the last decade. “Before, people would come at the end of their lives... Haj was seen as the last act of faith for those aged pilgrims. That is no longer the dominant case. Young people from all over the world, and especially Turkey, are undertaking the pilgrimage. They come here and go back with great impressions about the Muslim world. They narrate their experiences to their friends and relatives, creating a sense of exhilaration among the new generation. This is a major change,” he said.

The other major change that Aktay noticed since his last visit to Makkah in 1997 was the complete transformation of Makkah's landscape. “These new buildings and the massive expansion around the Holy Mosque led to the disappearance of the old city,” he said. But is that good or bad? “In one sense it is bad, since the historical aspect of Makkah as a city is no longer available. The only historical sign remaining in Makkah is the Kaaba itself. And in another aspect, just because of this, I think we are inclined to think that even history is performing a circumambulation. As a result, history is disappearing, so that there remains nothing but the oneness of Allah, which is manifested by the Holy Kaaba.”

***

In another meeting with two great scholars from India and Pakistan here at Mina, our discussion also veered around to the changing face of Makkah. Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad, president of the International Islamic University in Islamabad, felt that one needs to preserve the religion's historical memory. “Nations around the world preserve their heritage, so that there is something tangible for the next generations to identify their religion with,” he said.

Akhtarul Wasey, the well known academic of India, agreed. “We appreciate the massive expansion that has taken place in Makkah. However, I feel that one needs to protect the aura of Makkah,” he said. “For that you can always have all these high-rises outside the city and they can be connected with a rapid transport system. That way the aura of Makkah will be protected. The spirituality of the place will remain intact and commercialism will not seem so evident as it is now.”

***

A popular columnist from Pakistan, Orya Maqbool Jan, felt the expansion and massive construction are important and needed. “As an archaeologist, I can tell you that there are two types of monuments: one is a dead monument and the other is a living monument. Makkah is a living monument. It has to increase, to accommodate the large number of pilgrims.”

Jan felt that Saudi Arabia has done a fantastic job since he last performed Haj in 2001. “The year before, in 2000, there was a massive fire. The tents were then replaced with fireproof material. However, then there was a big stampede. Now there is no room for a stampede because of this huge Jamarat Complex in Mina. The Saudis have learned from the past and have constantly applied themselves to do their best, and they deserve our acknowledgment and praise.”

***

Saadia Akouri, a Moroccan law professor at the University of Mohamed V in Rabat, agreed with Jan. “Managing 3 million people who are always on the move is nothing short of a miracle. The policemen and other volunteers are so helpful. Despite all the stress, they try their best to explain the situation. This is a phenomenal change in attitude.”

Asked who was in her prayers at this year's Haj, Akouri replied: “I asked for the well-being of all nations. I beseeched Allah to provide all human beings with dignity and peace. These days words such as ‘peace’ and ‘human dignity’ have become clichés; they have lost their meaning. I simply want to say that you have to grant others what you expect others to grant you.”

***

Yet another impressive journalist this diarist was fortunate to meet was Ahmed Maher of BBC Arabic. How was his experience at the Haj? “Incredible,” he said. “I was confused when I was assigned to report on the Haj. Confused because some time back I reported from Tahrir Square about the people's revolution in Egypt. I was wondering what it would be like to switch roles from being a conflict-zone reporter to a spiritual-event reporter. That was a challenge. But I realized there are so many incredible and touching stories here.

“I was especially moved by the pilgrimage of a 60-year-old Palestinian woman who came here in a wheelchair. Her son was pushing it, and I thought he must be the most lucky person, because had it not been for him, she wouldn't have performed this pilgrimage.” Maher reported the story on BBC Arabic television.

On that touching note, we end this year's Haj diary. Maasalama.