Last week, Saudi Arabia suspended pilgrimage visits in a bid to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. On March 5, they also closed the sites for deep cleaning, but reopened them the next day, according to U. S. News. News.
The Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Al-Masjid al Nabawy Mosque in Medina, Islam’s two holiest sites and central pilgrimage sites, have been closed as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Saudi Arabia also suspended travel for Umrah and the mandatory Hajj, which would take place at the end of July this year.
While Hajj is obligatory and more expensive, Umrah is a voluntary pilgrimage that millions of Muslims make at any time of the year.
According to Middle East Eye, the voluntary pilgrimage is like a “miraculous religious solution” for those who need to “refresh their faith, ask for forgiveness and pray for their needs. “
The country banned it on February 27. This week’s footage shows how the Charm temporarily went from crowded to completely empty in a matter of days.
Another holy place affected by the coronavirus outbreak is Iran, which has been hit hard by the spread of the virus.
Although the shrine of Hazrat Masumeh in Qom has not been officially closed and some are still following it, according to the BBC, satellite imagery shows a clear difference in the number of people visiting it.
Iran has recorded nearly 5,000 cases of COVID-19 and just over 120 deaths, with some senior officials on the list. In fact, about 8% of the country’s parliamentarians are infected.
Other devout sites in the region have also closed, including the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Associated Press reported.
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