No kissing the kaaba at this year’s hajj
The year was 2014 and already Ebola was on everyone's minds. Mers and avian flu have scared off people from hajj, but covid-19 has closed Saudi's doors. This year a very modest, local hajj will take place.
Hajj
Ebola and The Hajj to Mecca?
The Ebola virus, already said to be virtually out of control in west Africa, may also be threatening Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East.
Hajj selfie fever rocks the Kaabah in Mecca – but is humble bragging holy?
The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca known as Hajj has officially begun.
How fast can Africa’s Ebola outbreak move to the Middle East?
As if the Middle East hasn’t already had problems with serious infectous diseases, such as Mid East Respiritory Syndrome (MERS), an even more deadly virus, Ebola, may now be on its way there as well. Ebola is one of the world’s worst virus scourges and is now on the verge of becoming an international pandemic, according to World Health […]
MERS Risk and Hajj – How to Prepare for a Healthy Pilgrammage
Public health officials in the Gulf states are playing down fears about an outbreak of the deadly MERS coronavirus among pilgrims travelling to the Hajj in Saudi Arabia this month, though doctors are advising the elderly, people with existing health conditions, pregnant women and young children to stay away.
Amazing Pavegen Tiles Harvest Energy From Footsteps
Paris marathon organizers plan on ripping off its runners! Energy-harvesting tiles placed along an 80 foot section of the Champs Elysee will capture energy from the pounding feet of 40,000 racers. The technology developed by Pavegen offers a tangible way for people to engage with renewable energy generation. The flexible tiles made from recycled truck tires […]
10 Green Prophets for 2012
The year in retrospect has been a positive one. Despite civil unrest, dangerous regimes, and appalling environmental crimes and neglect, there are good green things afoot for the Middle East. Today we recap some of our green leaders of 2012, the people of the Middle East and for the Middle East who have made 2012, […]
Angry Cow Murders Its Gazan Slaughterer During Muslim Eid Festival
Amateur slaughterers are often injured on the job. Should slaughtering be left to the professionals? The annual Hajj pilgrimage, on which we wrote about efforts to make it more green, has also become an event in which animals are being slaughtered inhumanely for the accompanying Ein al-Adha or the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice holiday. […]
A look at Islam’s Eid al-Adha 2012 Across the Middle East
This time of year marks one of Islam’s most sacred holidays, Eid al-Adha. The four-day holiday corresponds with the height of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which draws two million Muslim pilgrims a year. Eid began Friday and will end Monday, the last day of the Hajj. When traveling in Palestinian […]
Bosnian Walks 3,600 Miles to Mekkah
Senad Hadzic walked for 314 days and crossed six countries from his village in Bosnia to get to Mekkah in time for Hajj Last year we covered the amazing story of two South African Muslims who had cycled all the way to Mekkah. Not much more you could do to top that we thought at […]
SARS-like Mystery Virus Appears in Saudi Arabia, Alerting Haj Pilgrims
A new SARS-like mystery illness has health authorities alert ahead of the millions-strong Haj pilgrammage to Mecca. There have been two recent cases of a mysterious SARS-like virus linked to Saudi Arabia. It killed one of its victims from Saudi Arabia. The second who is still alive travelled through the country. The unknown mystery virus […]
New Mecca Mega-Scheme On The Way
A German company has just secured the contract for a mega project in Mecca which will house around 160,000 inhabitants Despite reassurances that Mecca would take a more considered approach to construction, a new mega-scheme for the city has just been given the green light. Following the horrendous Mecca Clocktower and the growing sprawl surrounding […]
The Weird Science of Pedestrian Behavior Might Help Hajj
Math helps us understand how people flow, and just maybe it could help Hajj pilgrims stay safe. A Californian jogs to the beach. Coming towards him on the sidewalk is a Texan. Unless one steps aside they’ll collide. Quick: which way does the jogger move? If this is in Europe or the USA, heavy odds he […]
A Forest of Umbrellas Keeps Medina Pilgrims Cool
Today’s pilgrims to Medina are way cooler than their predecessors thanks to sun shelters surrounding Islam’s second-holiest mosque. Al-Masjid al-Nabawī, the second mosque built by the Prophet Mohammed, is one of the world’s largest. But continual expansion over the centuries hasn’t kept pace with the increasing swell of Hajj pilgrims who congregate each year in its courtyards. […]
Hajj terminal for Mekkah is aviation’s green gem
Hajj Terminal, in Jedda, Saudi Arabia was built only for Mekkah by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, a Chicago-based architectural firm. It stands the test of time as a green gem.