Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 19 / Trend /
Work on expanding the area around the Kaaba was launched today in the holy Muslim city of Mecca, in accordance with a decree of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Star newspaper reported.
The area around the Kaaba will be expanded so that an additional 1.2 million pilgrims will be able to pray there.
A modern system for monitoring the safety and ventilation will be installed, and air conditioning will be provided throughout the area, in addition to other repairs which will be conducted.
At a certain time each year, millions of people around the world perform the Hajj - the pilgrimage associated with a visit to Mecca (Masjid al-Haram) and its suburbs (Mount Arafat, the valley of Mina). The Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, along with prayer (salat) and fasting (savm) in the month of Ramadan.
The quota of Azerbaijani pilgrims in 2011 is 2,000 people who will travel to Saudi Arabia with buses and airplanes.