Hala Sultan Tekkesi closed due to Eid pilgrimage

The Hala Sultan Tekkesi in Larnaca will be closed to visitors on Wednesday due to the traditional pilgrimage taking place at the site to mark the fourth day of Eid al-Adha.

Hundreds of pilgrims are expected to make the trip to Larnaca from the north, with around 450 people having travelled during April when a similar pilgrimage was made to mark Eid al-Fitr.

April’s trip was the first to have been made since 2019, with the pilgrimage not possible in the intervening years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Hala Sultan Tekkesi is one of the holiest places for Muslims in the world, with some scholars describing it as the fourth most important site in Islam after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

It is the resting place of Umm Haram, known as Hala Sultan in Turkish tradition, the wife of Ubada bin al-Samit, a companion of the prophet Mohamed.

Eid al-Adha began on Sunday, with the festival celebrated during the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu al-Hijja.