As millions of pilgrims arrive in Makkah for Hajj, a small group of riders have completed one of the most extraordinary journeys of the year: retracing a route taken by Andalusian Muslims to the Holy City more than 500 years ago by travelling from southern Spain to Saudi Arabia on horseback.
Abdelkader Harkassi Aidi, Tarek Rodriguez and Abdallah Rafael Hernandez Mancha undertook a 6,500km journey over nearly seven months, beginning in October and ending in the days before Hajj 2025. They were initially joined by Mohamed Mesbahi, but he had to end his ride after a vet advised the group to retire two horses.
The team documented their adventures via Instagram along the way. “It's been a dream that's become reality,” Harkassi Aidi, one of the organisers, tells The National from Saudi Arabia after completing the long journey.
The inspiration came from Harkassi Aidi’s friend Hernandez Mancha, a Spanish teacher who, 36 years ago, made a promise before taking a critical state exam. “He wrote in a notebook that if he passed this exam that was so important for him, so that he could get a job and help his family, he would become a Muslim and go to Hajj on horseback. It was the tradition of the old Andalusians, who he realised were his ancestors.”
Hernandez Mancha passed the exam with high marks, kept his word, embraced Islam and eventually, after retiring as a history and geography teacher, fulfilled the second part of his promise.
Journey begins with a single trot
The journey formally began at an old Andalusian mosque in the village of Almonaster la Real in southern Spain. “We were also given a very warm send-off from the Spanish Muslim community in Seville and Huelva,” says Harkassi Aidi, who is half-Spanish, half-Moroccan.
The riders trained for four years with Arabian horses of Khuzestani bloodlines, known for their endurance. “They're very resistant horses, very austere, very strong,” Harkassi Aidi explains.
But the journey was far from straightforward. “We didn't have much money. We all put in €1,500 [$1,705] each to start the journey and by the time we had reached the north of Spain we had run out of money,” recalls Harkassi Aidi.
It made the trek incredibly challenging. They camped every night, cooking for themselves and covering an average of 40km per day.
In France and Italy, they relied on equestrian centres. “Everything there is asphalted, which is worse for the horses because it’s harder on the joints,” says Harkassi Aidi. In Verona, a Saudi Snapchat influencer, Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, donated a caravan. “He came at the precise time that we were approaching Slovenia and the very cold winds of Croatia in the winter.”
While they were all on horseback, a support car carried the group's supplies. “The horses didn’t have to carry anything but ourselves and maybe a bottle of water,” Harkassi Aidi explains.
As they crossed Slovenia and Croatia, the scenery became repetitive. “We had rock mountains on the left and the sea on the right and knew we were going to be looking at the same thing for a week or so,” says Harkassi Aidi.
Celebrations in every city
Despite not being able to cross into the country on their own horses, Bosnia and Herzegovina marked a turning point. “Bosnia was the first Muslim country that we crossed,” Harkassi Aidi says. “There was a big celebration in the cities that we passed through, especially Mostar and Sarajevo.” Local religious officials greeted them in Sarajevo and they rode through snow-covered mountains between the two cities. The riders borrowed Bosnian horses to ride through the country and into Serbia.
Crossing into Serbia also came with unexpected joy for the group. “It was a big surprise to find this strong and lively Muslim community,” Harkassi Aidi says.
The group also had “a wonderful time” in Novi Pazar, a multi-ethnic city in south-west Serbia. Located on the borders of Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia, it is the capital of the Sanjak region.
From there, they passed through Bulgaria and into Turkey, where they were reunited with their own horses. That was “the beginning of the big celebration because it reminded us of the old Hajj caravans that used to gather in Istanbul”, Harkassi Aidi says. “We were received very warmly by the authorities, people and government ministers.”
Their first day riding in Turkey coincided with the start of Ramadan. The group fasted during the day, but ate every evening with a local community.
Though initially hesitant about entering Syria, they were assured safe passage. “We trusted them,” Harkassi Aidi says of the authorities they encountered. “Everything was raw. We saw a lot of destruction and heard a lot of stories.” Yet they were welcomed everywhere. “The first celebration was when the Assad regime fell and the second was when we came through the country,” Harkassi Aidi says.
From Damascus, they continued south, praying at the Umayyad Mosque as they passed through. Then continued to Jerusalem and Jordan, which was a brief but warm stop, before they crossed the border into the Saudi desert.
A new kind of adventure
Saudi Arabia presented new logistical challenges. “The government is not in favour of people coming to the Hajj this way,” Harkassi Aidi says. “They asked us to leave our horses in one of the cities in Riyadh and to come to Madinah.”
Despite having to end their ride, they were treated hospitably. “They actually paid for our flights and received us in Madinah with flowers and a five-star hotel,” Harkassi Aidi adds.
The group continued their journey, spending the last few weeks travelling around Saudi Arabia and meeting people along the way. They have been met by the Emir of Madinah, a close relative of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Now in Makkah, the trio are preparing for Hajj, while reflecting on what they’ve achieved. “We feel very privileged and chosen by Allah to have done this,” Harkassi Aidi says. “It’s an impossible journey and it’s only been possible with Allah’s help.”
Their role as ambassadors has been one of their proudest achievements. “We’ve represented the Spanish Muslim community across the world,” Harkassi Aidi says. “It’s been a great achievement for Spain as a whole.”
The journey has also been a milestone for the equestrian world. “Horsemen and horsewomen would know how fragile horses are,” Harkassi Aidi says. “To do more than 6,500 kilometres in six or seven months is a miracle.”
The journey is ending with mixed emotions. They will return to Spain by plane, leaving the horses behind. “I think this is the sad part of the story,” says Harkassi Aidi. “They deserve the best.”
Plans are in place to preserve the bloodlines of the animals that carried them to the holy land.
Harkassi Aidi says he learnt many lessons throughout this journey. The biggest is steeped in his faith. “If you have a clear intention, you have to commit to it, have patience when things are very difficult and be grateful when things are easy. With good, clear and fair intentions, and trusting in Allah, anything is possible.”
