Umrah journeys resume along the historic route
Umrah journeys by road from Türkiye to the holy lands have picked up after crossings through Syria resumed. The route had been closed to Umrah pilgrims since 2011.
The number of pilgrims traveling by road from Türkiye to Saudi Arabia has increased significantly in recent months. The journeys are being made individually or in groups.
The road journey involves more than simply reaching Mecca and Medina. Along the route through Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, travelers also visit sites of historical and cultural importance, as well as stops connected to the Hijaz route.
A nine-day route from Istanbul to Mecca
Özlem Eğinkaya, who joined the Umrah group, said their journey began in Istanbul and continued via Damascus and Amman. In Jordan, the group visited the Hijaz Railway Station in Wadi Rum before continuing on its way.

Eğinkaya said they set out from the Harem stop in Istanbul toward the holy lands, following the route taken by their ancestors. The journey ended in Mecca after a visit to Medina.
Group guide Ahmet Yaser Feten said the journey from Istanbul to Mecca took nine days. After visiting historical sites in Damascus, the group visited the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery in Jordan's city of Salt.
In Saudi Arabia, the group passed through Mada'in Salih, AlUla and Khaybar before reaching Medina and then departing for Mecca. Feten said they completed the journey by following the historic route and in the footsteps of their ancestors.