Residents of Chechnya go to hajj by bicycles

Two residents of Chechnya left Grozny for Saudi Arabia on bicycles. They plan to arrive there by late August.

They have all the necessary papers. It is expected that they will reach Saudi Arabia by late August, by the time of the commencement of the hajj to Mecca," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by an official from the Chechen Muftiate.

This year, the quota for hajj allocated by the authorities of Saudi Arabia for pilgrims from Chechnya is 2600 people. Applications for a trip to the hajj were filed by more than 1000 residents of the region, reports the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) for Chechnya.

This year, a pilgrimage from Chechnya to Saudi Arabia is arranged by the tourist agency "Al Aman". A trip for one pilgrim costs about 3100 US dollars.

It is supposed that pilgrims should solve for themselves the questions of nutrition and trips to different places. That entails additional costs, and on average, a believer can spend for a trip to Mecca the amount of 4000 US dollars or more. This was reported by residents of Chechnya who already went for hajj.

"The main thing is that a person should be morally and physically ready to make a pilgrimage. And it is also necessary to take into account future expenses, since they can appear to be much higher than planned. Besides, it is advisable to travel with relatives or friends in order to support each other," said Lechi, a resident of Chechnya, who two years earlier made a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.