Near the holy city of Mecca, men in white robes stand quietly in a long queue, waiting for the next important act of their hajj pilgrimage: a haircut.
As the hajj draws to a close, pilgrims can remove their Ihram garments, which represent commitment and purity, by shaving or cutting their hair.
The barbershop, which is well situated near the Jamarat complex in Mina, the site of Friday’s “stoning of the devil” ceremony, is open only during the yearly hajj and sees a booming business.
Its barbers usually serve 6,000 clients on the final day of the trip, which falls on the important holiday of Eid al-Adha, according to manager Imad Fawzi, a representative of the hajj organization.
Inside, guys in plastic aprons use cut-throat razors and electric clippers to shear scalps on a large scale for 60 riyals ($13) each.
Despite the rush — there are so many customers that an usher is required — Ahmed, a 28-year-old barber from Egypt, is happy in his work.
“This is a very simple thing to do, but it brings us so much joy,” he says.
Fawzi, who grew up in Mecca, called himself a “child of the hajj”.
“I’ve been working in hajj since I was seven,” he says.
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