MECCA: Pilgrims heading home from Mecca not only carry mental souvenirs of an unforgettable spiritual journey, they also take gifts for loved ones not fortunate enough to travel with them to Saudi Arabia.
Presents bought after the annual hajj range from bottles of water from the holy spring of Zamzam to crystal models of the Kaaba.
Muslims worldwide pray facing towards the Kaaba, and performing the hajj is one of the five pillars or tenets of Islam. It must be undertaken at least once during the lifetime of the faithful if they have the means to do so.
According to official Saudi figures, a total of 2,454,325 pilgrims from 181 nations, 1,707,814 of them from outside the Gulf Arab state, attended this year s pilgrimage.
The last of this year s pilgrims took part in the stoning of Satan ritual on Friday at Mena, east of Mecca. After hurling pebbles at pillars representing the Devil, they returned to the Grand Mosque before starting to head home.
But before leaving there were keepsakes to buy and gifts to find to mark their becoming hajjis.
Stores on the ground floors of high-rise buildings overlooking the Grand Mosque keep their doors open 24 hours a day during the hajj season to meet the demand from pilgrims converging to Mecca from all over the globe.
Prayer beads are a popular choice, as are products such as incense, dates and henna.
A hajji s wealth will decide whether he chooses Chinese-made prayer beads or beads with expensive gemstones and gift bags.
The durability of the bead and what it is made of will decide my choice, said Jamal, a hajji from Kuwait examining prayer beads costing more than 500 riyals ($134) in one of the Mecca stores.
All of my loved ones are precious to me, but I buy the beads based on who needs what, he replied when asked how much he was prepared to spend. Cheaper Chinese-made beads can be bought for as little as 10 riyals for a dozen.
Expensive prayer beads often serve as more than a means of praying, also becoming a mark of prestige.
Easy to pack beads come second in popularity only to bottles of holy water from the spring of Zamzam, which Muslims believe originated from heaven and which is reputed to have healing power.
They believe the spring dates back some 4,000 years to the time of the prophet Abraham and his son Ismail.
I m taking Zamzam to my wife s relatives and my close friends. I was told before coming here that it was the only thing they wished to have from Mecca, said Ali from Britain but who now works in Egypt.
He said he bought a four-riyal jerry can to fill with Zamzam water.
Hajjis who forget to get their holy water in Mecca itself can buy it later for prices ranging from 15 to 25 riyals a can on the way out of the city in a trade somewhat frowned upon by the Saudi authorities.
Progress in technology creates new products, and pilgrims can now opt for precision-cut crystal miniature models of the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque and the Mosque of the Prophet.
As a Muslim I want to decorate my home with Islamic decorative models of our religion s most sacred places, said Abdulkarim from Indonesia as he examined different models that also included the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
In addition to Zamzam water, prayer beads and model mosques, pilgrims also take home prayer rugs and copies of the Quran.
Other popular souvenirs and gifts include perfumes that are free from any forbidden substances such as alcohol.
Saudi dates, including a special variety sold for as much as $100 a kilo, are also popular among those beginning the often long journey home after performing the pilgrimage.
