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Tripping over ancient obstacles

Sweltering in black nylon, Caroline Hendrie endures the religiously enforced restrictions on women to visit the heartland of IslamNever has 'my trip' been a more apt description of a holiday. Half of...

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Luxury timeshares on offer at Islam's holiest pilgrimage site

Opponents say ZamZam moneyspinner makes mockery of spirit of hajjIt is the holiest site in Islam, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad and the place the world's Muslim population turns and prays to...

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A short break in Oman's Empty Quarter desert

Want to live out your Lawrence of Arabia fantasies but can only spare a couple of days off work? Tom Robbins travels to Oman for a weekend in the Empty Quarter - 250,000 square miles of nothing but...

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A new underwater kingdom

Saudi Arabia is a controversial holiday choice but for divers it offers some of the world's last virgin coral reefs, says James MontagueIf you were a travel agent, you'd probably find that Saudi Arabia...

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Warning over Hajj pilgrimage rip-offs

The government has warned British Muslims embarking on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia this year to be on their guard against scams and rip-offs. Up to 50,000 Britons make the pilgrimage...

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Travel news in brief

Unique, atmospheric and oh-so-luxurious: we love the look of the new Sassi di Matera hotel in Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy. Housed within a warren of 2,000-year-old caves - which are a Unesco...

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Travel news in brief

The dramatic landscapes of the Middle East are a great playground for families. Camping out with the Bedouin, exploring ancient castles or riding across the desert on camels will keep even the...

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Once upon a life: Hilary Mantel

For four years, the Booker prize-winner lived in the repressive, claustrophobic kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Until one day in 1986 when she and her husband left Jeddah and rediscovered freedomAt five...

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Backpacking adventures: real stories

Whether you're thinking of a year out, need a career break or just an adventurous holiday, find inspiration with these extraordinary gap-year talesWhen I was 11, during a junior school leavers'...

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Mecca makeover: how the hajj has become big business for Saudi Arabia

• Country's religious tourism industry booming• New luxury hotels prove huge draw for pilgrimsThe arid landscape hugging the Jeddah-Mecca highway used to hold little appeal. But now travellers can...

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British Muslims join the pilgrims at a record-breaking hajj

Some 25,000 visitors from the UK join the millions pouring into Arafat to spend the day in prayerTucked away from the intensity of the crowds and traffic today, some of the 25,000 Britons who are...

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Riazat Butt | Divine dispatches: hajj special

Gold rush in Mecca; voice the Grand Mufti; environmental impacts; hajj fashionGreetings from Saudi Arabia, where this week's Divine Dispatches comes from. I'm sitting in a Ministry of Culture and...

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Is Saudi Arabia finally taking an interest in its own heritage? | Jason Burke

For years, the country has been erasing any evidence of its polytheistic, desert-dwelling past. But now, slowly, the tide may be starting to turnTell people in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, that you are...

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Mecca's mega architecture casts shadow over hajj

Towering over Mecca, this is the world's second-tallest building – and it is just a tiny part of a voracious development that has seen historic sites bulldozed and locals forced into shantytowns. As...

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Only way is up for towers that touch the sky - in pictures

Skyscrapers have captured our imagination for decades with their beauty and apparently gravity-defying structures. Here are some of the most breathtakingEMPIRE STATE BUILDINGCompleted: 1931Continue...

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City in the sky: world's biggest hotel to open in Mecca

The holy city is fast becoming a Las Vegas for pilgrims, thanks to the new £2.3bn megahotel that has four helipads, five floors for Saudi royalty – and 10,000 bedroomsFour helipads will cluster around...

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Jeddah's Kingdom Tower: how much higher can skyscrapers go? A history of...

We end our History of Cities series with a monumental tower in Saudi Arabia that, when finished in 2018, will become the world’s first kilometre-high skyscraper. So what does it say about the future of...

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Mecca worshippers stream their stories live on Snapchat

#Mecca Live trends on Twitter with snaps providing insight into Saudi city closed to non-Muslims Worshippers in Mecca are streaming their stories live on Snapchat, opening up the Saudi city to...

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The hajj pilgrimage begins - in pictures

More than 2 million people have gone to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for annual pilgrimageContinue reading...

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Mecca to accept only ‘immunised’ pilgrims from Ramadan

Worshippers must be vaccinated against Covid or have recovered from the virus, say SaudisCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFrom the start of Ramadan, only Muslims immunised...

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