The pilgrims who set out on a pilgrimage on horseback from Spain reached Istanbul after 3.5 months
The journey of three friends, who aim to revive the 500-year-old tradition of Andalusian Muslims' pilgrimage on horseback and to perform the hajj rituals, which started approximately 3.5 months ago in the south of Spain, continues.
During their 8,000-kilometer journey, the pilgrims aim to reach Saudi Arabia via Syria after passing through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
Hosted by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU), the pilgrim candidates met with students and their loved ones at the Halkalı campus within the scope of the event organized by the university.
The pilgrims, who stopped by Istanbul as one of the stops on their journey, took souvenir photos with the students, who attracted great attention.
Abdallah Hernandez, Abdelkader Harkassi and Tariq Rodriguez, who have been traveling on horseback for about 3.5 months to perform the hajj pilgrimage from Spain, have arrived in Istanbul. Hosted by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU), the pilgrim candidates met with students and loved ones at the Halkalı campus as part of an event organized by the university. (AA)
- Istanbul is one of the important stops for pilgrims
Speaking at the conference, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Hüsnü Koyunoğlu, from the Department of Islamic History and Arts at the İZÜ Faculty of Islamic Sciences, said that Istanbul has been one of the important stops for pilgrims for centuries.
Koyunoğlu stated that for many years, Muslims from Europe, the Caucasus and Asia who went on pilgrimage continued their journeys by stopping by Istanbul to perform their religious duties.
IZU Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar expressed their pleasure in hosting the pilgrims who went to the holy lands.
Acar said the pilgrimage was "an exciting and historically significant act" and noted that they hoped it would lead to the revival of Islamic civilization in Spain.
"WE REALIZED THAT THE PILGRIMAGE IS A JOURNEY OF PROPAGATION"
Speaking at the conference, Hernandez thanked IZU for their hospitality and said they were happy to reach Istanbul after traveling approximately 4 thousand kilometers.
Hernandez stated that when he was 24 years old and was learning about Islam and doing studies in the field of geography, he studied the Bible and the Quran and the verses caught his attention.
Hernandez noted that he had promised himself to become a Muslim if he passed an exam in the field of geography, and later emphasized that he wished to pass the exam and become a Muslim, and to go on the pilgrimage on horseback like his ancestors.
Pilgrims who set out on a pilgrimage on horseback from Spain have arrived in Istanbul. (AA)
Hernandez said that Harkassi and Rodriguez accompanied him on horseback in his dream, while Bouchaib Jadil, a construction master living in Spain, drove ahead and provided logistical support to the team.
Hernandez stated that they encountered many events that he described as miracles during the journey and that they "realized that the pilgrimage was also a journey of preaching."
A LOST TRADITION IS COMING TO THE LIGHT
One of the pilgrims, Harkassi, said they were happy to bring a lost tradition back to light.
Harkassi said they had been saving and training for this trip for several years.
Harkassi, who emphasized that although the journey was difficult, it was also full of adventures , said, "We had funny moments and adventures. We saw that Allah was with us. They set out to complete the Hajj with pure feelings. We became a part of it. We are halfway through the journey now and God willing, our path will get easier."
Stating that they wanted to spend the month of Ramadan in Istanbul, the team noted that they wanted to visit important religious and historical centers such as the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.
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