With the departure of the first group from Türkiye on May 9, the pilgrimage journey of Turkish Hajj candidates to the holy lands officially began. The final group arrived in Mecca on May 31, marking the completion of the arrivals.
As the Eid al-Adha holiday approaches, Hajj candidates traveling under the organization of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and travel agencies affiliated with the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) have now reached the holy lands.
Some pilgrims initially went to Medina, while others headed to Mecca. With the arrival of the final group from Türkiye in Mecca last night, the entire contingent has now reached the sacred sites.
Amid the growing crowds in Mecca, Turkish pilgrims continue their visits to the Kaaba. They spend their days performing Umrah, reading the Quran, making tawaf (circumambulation) and visiting holy sites.
After completing the required rituals of Hajj, the pilgrims will proceed to Arafat on June 4 to perform the standing (wuquf), a central component of the pilgrimage.
From there, they will travel to Muzdalifah and Mina. After symbolically stoning the devil at the Jamarat, they will return to the Kaaba to perform the tawaf and sa’i.
Once these rites are completed, pilgrims will exit the state of ihram and observe the Eid al-Adha holiday, which begins on June 6 while still in the holy lands.
The return journey to Türkiye will begin on June 11, with the final groups expected to return by July 7.
President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş had earlier announced that 84,942 citizens from Türkiye would perform the Hajj this year. Of these, 51.5% are women and 48.5% are men, with the average age of the pilgrims being 60.
