Can you imagine spending $7000 per night for a makeshift room? Welcome to Camp 3 – 406 in Mina near Mecca. This is where pilgrims stay during Hajj.
Mina is a valley near Mecca. It transforms into a tent city during the Hajj pilgrimage. More than a million people gather here for a few nights. This is a required part of the pilgrimage.
The Saudi government banned VIP camps here. They felt it defied the spirit of Hajj. Hajj is about endurance and submission to God. Some developers were installing jacuzzis and offering open buffets. This cost about $10000 per pilgrim.
The government tried to preserve Mina’s nature. But it became more and more impossible. Mina covers about 20 square kilometers. That’s less than two square meters per pilgrim. Some owners tried to get around the ban. They built temporary walls to give VIPs privacy. One worker said this was dangerous. Walls could block water from sprinklers during a fire.
A fire in 1997 killed hundreds. Authorities replaced old tents with fire-resistant ones. The new tents are made of fiberglass coated with Teflon. They also have heat-sensitive water sprinklers.
In the past, Mina was a real neighborhood. It had residents, markets, and cafes. Pilgrims camped among the residents. A decade ago, the neighborhood was demolished. Now, it’s a tent city with bridges and train stations.
One businessman named Saad Qurashi rents towers to pilgrims. He rents each tower for over $16 million a year. A room in the tower costs at least $3000. Even though his house was destroyed for the development, Qurashi believes it was a sacrifice worth accepting for the comfort of the pilgrims.
Mina is nicknamed the “City of Tents”. Over 100000 air-conditioned tents are set up to house up to 3 million people. These tents are grouped into camps. Each camp has its own exterior walls. They are divided by the nationalities of pilgrims. Each camp also has kitchens and bathrooms. The tents are marked with unique color-and-number pairs. This makes them easier to identify.
Consider the experience of pilgrims in Mina. Most stay in tents that accommodate about 50 people. The average price is $500 per pilgrim. But some pilgrims pay much more for a little extra comfort.
Whether in a simple tent or a pricey room, pilgrims come to Mina to fulfill their religious duties. They leave behind the comforts of civilization. They dissolve class and cultural distinctions. The focus is on faith and devotion during Hajj.