| Is someone pondering a stealth invasion, perhaps, or connecting with clients in the West Bank and Gaza? |
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
where Islam's holiest site Kaaba is located. Jerusalem hosted the first-ever qiblah, or direction Moslems should turn to while praying, before it was replaced with Kaaba as the new direction. The DIB lowered prices for Jerusalem tours, which travelers can attend without visiting Saudi Arabia or combine with the umrah pilgrimage.
Authorities aim to raise interest among
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...for the first time in decades four years ago, but they have not been regularly organized since then. Pilgrims have to register with the DIB and pay fees for trips. The first group of pilgrims will leave on Dec. 5 for a three-day trip to Jerusalem, and the DIB also offers a 16-day umrah pilgrimage with a Jerusalem stopover.
Remzi Bircan, head of the religious authority's pilgrimage and umrah services, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they held a workshop earlier this month for a comprehensive assessment of umrah tours with Jerusalem stopovers and analyzed possible challenges. "We want to increase the number of tours so we can maintain our citizens' admiration of Jerusalem," he said. "Jerusalem was our first qibla, and we want