A Bosniak Muslim has arrived in Kirkuk, Iraq, after setting out on foot from Europe for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Envar Beganovic, a 52-year-old judo competitor who has resided in Austria for 28 years, keeps moving forward by passing through 10 nations on his path.
Since he began from Austria, Beganovic has traveled for over 160 days and has left behind Slovakia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey. He also carries the flags of each nation he has visited on his back.
“Throughout the tens of thousands of kilometers, I had no issues. On the contrary, individuals went above and beyond to aid and encourage me, he told Anadolu Agency.
He claimed that since he was an athlete and was accustomed to traveling large distances, he made the decision to make the journey on foot. Beganovic said that by covering hundreds of miles on foot, he would reap huge advantages.
“My late mother and father bequeathed to us not to stray from your religion,” he said, adding that he had been walking for months to reach the holy land and never got tired.
One of the five pillars of Islam is the pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest place.
If they have the means, Muslims must execute it at least once.
