Three friends from Spain are reviving a 500-year-old Andalusian Muslim tradition by traveling on horseback to Mecca for Hajj.
Three friends from Spain are traveling to Saudi Arabia on horseback for their Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Their expedition, which is a sacred journey for Muslims, began with a vow made by one of the pilgrims after embracing Islam.
Traveling on horseback from Spain for the past 3.5 months, Abdallah Hernandez, Abdelkader Harkassi, and Tariq Rodriguez have reached Istanbul and will continue their journey to complete the Hajj pilgrimage, while reviving a 500-year-old Andalusian Muslim tradition.
The group aims to reach Saudi Arabia via Syria after traveling through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Türkiye on their 8,000-kilometer (4,970 miles) journey.
Hosted by Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, the pilgrims met with students and supporters at the university as part of an event organized by the institution.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Huseyin Husnu Koyunoglu from the university’s Faculty of Islamic Sciences emphasized that Istanbul has been a significant stop for Hajj pilgrims for centuries.
Hernandez said he first learned about Islam at age 24. While working in geography, he studied the Bible and the Quran, finding the verses particularly striking.
He mentioned that before taking a geography exam, he promised himself that if he passed, he would become a Muslim.
After passing the exam, Hernandez converted to Islam and vowed to do the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca on horseback, just like his ancestors.
Hernandez explained that in fulfilling his dream, Harkassi and Rodriguez are accompanying him on horseback, while Bouchaib Jadil, a construction master living in Spain, is providing logistical support to the team by leading the way in a car.
A Lost Tradition is Being Revived
One of the Hajj pilgrims, Harkassi, said they were happy to revive a lost tradition.
He explained that they have saved money and trained for several years for this journey.
Despite the challenges, Harkassi emphasized that the journey was also full of adventure. "We have had funny moments and adventures. We saw that Allah was with us. We embarked on this journey with pure intentions to realize the Hajj."
He added: "We have now become a part of this. We are currently halfway there, and hopefully, the rest of the journey will be easier."
The team said they wanted to spend the month of Ramadan in Istanbul and expressed a desire to visit important religious and historical sites, such as the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, day...
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing w...
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A rep...
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanit...
A Kyrgyz–Japanese archaeological expedition has uncovered the remains of a Buddhist temple complex at the medieval settlement of Ak-Beshim, a...
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) exit by the United Arab Emirates has largely been viewed through a narrow economic lens: higher Emirati output, potential increases by Saudi Arabia and others to protect market share, and downward pressure on global prices.
Kazakhstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other key OPEC+ countries have agreed a paper-based modest oil output hike for next month, raising the output targets to 188,000 barrels a day in June.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC+ on 1 May has put renewed focus on one of the most influential groups in global energy - and how its decisions can shape oil prices worldwide.
Iran’s mission at the United Nations headquarters in New York has, in a letter to the Secretary-General and the Security Council President, demanded war compensation from five regional states over damages caused during Israeli-U.S. aggression against Iran.
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
A Kyrgyz–Japanese archaeological expedition has uncovered the remains of a Buddhist temple complex at the medieval settlement of Ak-Beshim, also known as Suyab, in Kyrgyzstan’s Chui Region.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Baku State University (BSU) and the international television channel AnewZ, marking a new stage of cooperation in journalism education and media development.
The 19th Azerbaijan International Agricultural Exhibition and Forum, Caspian Agro Week, and the 31st InterFood Azerbaijan have opened in Baku, bringing together global industry leaders, policymakers and investors to showcase innovations in agriculture and food production.
Minval Politika has released new footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing alleged contacts with Armenia’s foreign minister and campaigns linked to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Azerbaijan says political pressure and what it describes as biased rhetoric from some European institutions are complicating peace efforts with Armenia and undermining neutrality in the negotiations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment