Latest news with #AbdelkaderHarkassiAidi
New York Times
11-06-2025
- New York Times
Bound for Mecca, These Pilgrims Rode From Spain on Horses — and on Instagram
More than 1.5 million people traveled to Saudi Arabia this year for the hajj. Only three of them rode on horseback all the way from Spain, recreating the pilgrimage of Andalusian Muslims centuries ago and sharing their travels in the most modern way with big followings on social media. In Bosnia, they lost days looking for borrowed horses that broke free after a scare and ended up wandering into a minefield. In France, the horses panicked in a tunnel filled with mud, and one nearly drowned before one pilgrim, on foot and chest-deep in the muck, helped pull the animal out. 'We were really scared. We didn't know what to do. There were too many horses jumping,' said Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, one of the riders. 'We thought we would lose that horse.' Hajj on Horseback, as they called their project, took four years of preparation and about seven months of travel over nearly 4,000 miles across about a dozen countries with sometimes treacherous terrain. The journey was, in a sense, a test of their faith in God, humanity and the internet. The buzzy project, reviving an ancient tradition on social media, drew more than 345,000 followers on Instagram and more than 250,000 on TikTok. Some of the pilgrims' posts from the road — showing the group camping, making meals, hosing down horses, talking to strangers and running into administrative and physical obstacles that added many miles to the trip — have been viewed more than 550,000 times. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Arab Times
09-06-2025
- Arab Times
Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Makkah
CAIRO, June 9, (AP): Three Spanish pilgrims performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia rode on horseback to Makkah, traveling thousands of kilometers in snow and rain and along a path they said had not been trekked for more than 500 years. Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez, and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan to arrive in Saudi Arabia in May. It was an emotional moment for the trio when they reached Makkah. No pilgrim had traveled this way since 1491, they said. Harkassi said the group's path from Spain took them across about 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles) before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Grand Mosque in Makkah. "We had crossed so many kilometers to be there and Allah had replied to our wish,' he told The Associated Press on Thursday from Arafat, southeast of Makkah. "We were in front of the Kaaba and had the opportunity to touch it. So, that 8,000 kilometers became nothing.' During their monthslong journey they came across scenic stretches of nature and historical landmarks in Syria, including the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque. They also found an old railway track built during the time of the Ottoman Empire that connected Istanbul to Saudi Arabia. They followed it for days to help guide them to the desert kingdom. But there were challenges, too. They lost their horses in Bosnia, only to find them later in a landmine zone. Nobody could fetch the horses because of the explosives, but the animals eventually made it out of the area unharmed, Harkassi said. The human element of the trip was the most valuable for the team, he added. "When we didn't have anything, people helped us with our horses, with our food, they gave us money. When our assistance car got broken, they fixed it for us," Harkassi said. "People have been incredible. I think it's proof that Muslims are united, that the one ummah (nation) that every Muslim longs for is a reality."
Arab News
06-06-2025
- Arab News
Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Makkah
CAIRO: Three Spanish pilgrims performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia rode on horseback to Makkah, traveling thousands of kilometers in snow and rain and along a path they said had not been trekked for more than 500 years. Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkiye, Syria and Jordan to arrive in Saudi Arabia in May. It was an emotional moment for the trio when they reached Makkah. No pilgrim had traveled this way since 1491, they said. Harkassi said the group's path from Spain took them across about 8,000 kilometers (nearly 5,000 miles) before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Grand Mosque in Makkah. 'We had crossed so many kilometers to be there and Allah had replied to our wish,' he told The Associated Press on Thursday from Arafat, southeast of Makkah. 'We were in front of the Kaaba and had the opportunity to touch it. So, that 8,000 kilometers became nothing.' During their monthslong journey they came across scenic stretches of nature and historical landmarks in Syria, including the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque. They also found an old railway track built during the time of the Ottoman Empire that connected Istanbul to Saudi Arabia. They followed it for days to help guide them to the desert kingdom. But there were challenges, too. They lost their horses in Bosnia, only to find them later in a land mine zone. Nobody could fetch the horses because of the explosives, but the animals eventually made it out of the area unharmed, Harkassi said. The human element of the trip was the most valuable for the team, he added. 'When we didn't have anything, people helped us with our horses, with our food, they gave us money. When our assistance car got broken, they fixed it for us,' Harkassi said. 'People have been incredible. I think it's proof that Muslims are united, that the one ummah (nation) that every Muslim longs for is a reality.'
Toronto Star
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Star
Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Mecca
CAIRO (AP) — Three Spanish pilgrims performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia rode on horseback to Mecca, traveling thousands of kilometers in snow and rain and along a path they said had not been trekked for more than 500 years. Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to arrive in Saudi Arabia in May.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Spanish Muslims retrace ancient Hajj route on horseback from Andalusia to Mecca
CAIRO — Three Spanish pilgrims performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia rode on horseback to Mecca, traveling thousands of kilometers in snow and rain and along a path they said had not been trekked for more than 500 years. Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha set out from southern Spain in October, riding through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to arrive in Saudi Arabia in May. It was an emotional moment for the trio when they reached Mecca. No pilgrim had traveled this way since 1491, they said. Harkassi said the group's path from Spain took them across about 8,000 kilometers before they reached the Kaaba, the black cube structure in the Grand Mosque in Mecca. 'We had crossed so many kilometers to be there and Allah had replied to our wish,' he told The Associated Press on Thursday from Arafat, southeast of Mecca. "We were in front of the Kaaba and had the opportunity to touch it. So, that 8,000 kilometers became nothing.' During their monthslong journey they came across scenic stretches of nature and historical landmarks in Syria, including the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque. They also found an old railway track built during the time of the Ottoman Empire that connected Istanbul to Saudi Arabia. They followed it for days to help guide them to the desert kingdom. But there were challenges, too. They lost their horses in Bosnia, only to find them later in a landmine zone. Nobody could fetch the horses because of the explosives, but the animals eventually made it out of the area unharmed, Harkassi said. The human element of the trip was the most valuable for the team, he added. 'When we didn't have anything, people helped us with our horses, with our food, they gave us money. When our assistance car got broken, they fixed it for us," Harkassi said. "People have been incredible. I think it's proof that Muslims are united, that the one ummah that every Muslim longs for is a reality."
