A reported 620 people made a pilgrimage on Wednesday to the Hala Sultan Tekkesi in Larnaca to mark Eid al-Adha.

Pilgrims travelled from the north on 12 buses, being accompanied by a police escort from the Ayios Dhometios crossing point to Larnaca.

Wednesday’s pilgrimage is the second since they restarted after the Covid-19 pandemic, with around 450 people having travelled during April when a similar pilgrimage was made to mark Eid al-Fitr.

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. Wednesday is the last day of Eid al-Adha.