Pilgrims from Bashkortostan have left Ufa for Jidda

The first group of pilgrims from Bashkortostan has left from the airport of Ufa for Mecca to commit hadj, www.islamrf.ru reports. About 240 people from different regions RB gathered for the pilgrimage to Mecca. The next group has to leave on October 31.

One of the curators Ildar Khairullin has reported in an interview to www.islamrf.ru that in 2010 the direct flight from Ufa to Jidda is organized for the convenience of the pilgrims and from there they will reach the destination point by bus. Originally the flight from the capital of Bashkortostan was planned to Medina but later the route was replaced by “Ufa-Jidda” because of the repair works in Medina’s airport.

It should be noted that the direct flight from Ufa to Saudi Arabia makes the hadj for Bashkir Muslims and Muslims from nearby regions much easier. Before 2010 pilgrims could reach Saudi Arabia either through Moscow or Kazan and because of that almost all companies, specializing in the hadj tours, organized the trips through Moscow and the problem with the arrival in the capital the Muslims had to solve on their own. The pilgrims faced many problems because with the purpose to save money they travelled to Moscow and back to Ufa by train, i.e. spent 25-30 hours on the way.

The new flights from Ufa to Saudi Arabia will make the way to the holy places for the Bashkir Muslims much simpler.