14:00, 22 November 2008

Ingush pilgrims depart to Mecca from Sochi

Yesterday, on November 21, the first group of Russian pilgrims departed from the seaport of Sochi to Mecca. 200 believers, most of them are residents of Ingushetia, will initially cross the Black Sea by a ferry, and then continue their Hajj by land transport.

In the weeks to come, the Sochi Port expects arrival of some more groups of pilgrims, the ITAR-TASS reports with reference to the press-service of the Black-Azov Sea Frontier Department of Coastal Guard of the FSB of the Russian Federation. The YUGA.ru reports that frontier guards were instructed to take the departure and return of Russian pilgrims under special control.

As a whole, as the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports this year, because of the global financial crisis, 6000 less Russian Moslems will make Hajj to Saudi Arabia than last year. Last year, about 2000 believers from Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kazakhstan made use of this popular route to Mecca.