Hajj

It's Hajj, and in Saudi Arabia Muslims are gathering for a religious pilgrimage to Mecca. Over two million people are housed in tents and I thought you would enjoy seeing how many there are. I ran into this video months ago and I was amazed at the size of this temporary town. It is definately quite a sight. It is said that there are 57,000 tents, which are air conditioned and made of non-flammable material.

Because of the vast distances travelled, and the possibility of spreading disease, medical requirements for pilgrims are strict. Inoculations are required for such as typhoid fever, polio, pneumonia, diptheria, tetanus and malaria. Disease and illness can spread rapidly at the Hajj where hundreds of thousands of people move at all times in extremely close proximity. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires proof of inoculations and a round-trip ticket to home to ensure pilgrims don't linger. If you watch the video you see how closely together millions of people live for a few days each year