RIYADH: During the Hajj season, Makkah transforms into a place where Arabic is heard alongside languages from around the world.
Urdu, Indonesian, Turkish, Persian, Bengali, English, French, Swahili and more are heard during the pilgrimage, reflecting the unity of Muslims.
While diverse cultures mix at the holy sites, the language of the rituals brings worshippers together as pilgrims share supplication and circumambulation, while the authorities work to overcome language barriers by offering multilingual services.
The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque provides simultaneous interpretation of Grand Mosque sermons into 10 languages via the Manarat Al-Haramain platform and FM radio. It also offers spatial and cultural guidance in more than 50 languages through wireless headphones and digital guidance cards.
Translation efforts include books, brochures, directional signs and electronic screens inside the Grand Mosque, alongside copies of the Holy Qur’an and multi-language translations of its meanings.
