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The 'Jamarat Bridge' (Arabic: 'جسر الجمرات'; transliterated: 'Jisr al-Jamarāt') is a pedestrian bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia near Mecca used by Muslims during the stoning of the devil ritual of the Hajj. The bridge was originally constructed in 1963, and had been expanded several times since then. The purpose of the bridge is to enable pilgrims to throw stones at the three jamrah pillars from either the ground or the bridge. The pillars extend up through three openings in the bridge, with stones thrown from the upper level falling through to the ground below. Until 2006 the bridge had a single tier (ie. a ground level with one bridge level above).
At certain times, over a million people may gather in the area of the bridge, which has sometimes led to fatal accidents. “Jamarat” is the plural of ''jamrah'' which is the Arabic term for each of the pillars involved in the stoning ritual. It literally means a small piece of stone or a pebble.

Contents

New Bridge

Safety issues

Notes

See also

External links

New Bridge

Following the January 2006 Hajj, the old bridge was demolished and construction began on a new multi-level bridge. The ground and first levels were complete in time for the 2006/2007 Hajj, which passed without incident. Construction on the remaining two levels are scheduled to be completed in time for the 1428 AH (Dec. 2007) Hajj.
The new bridge contains a wider column free interior space and expanded jamrah pillars many times longer than their pre-2006 predecessors. Additional ramps and tunnels have been built for easier access and bottlenecks have been engineered out. Large canopies are planned to cover each of the three jamrah pillars to protect pilgrims from the desert sun. Ramps are also being built adjacent to the pillars to speed evacuation in the event of an emergency. Additionally, Saudi authorities have issued a fatwa decreeing that the stoning may take place between sunrise and sunset, rather than at the mid-day time that most pilgrims prefer.

Safety issues

During the Hajj, so many people use the bridge that overcrowding can create a hazard.
In 2004, 251 pilgrims were trampled to death performing the ceremony. Following this accident, Saudi authorities embarked on major construction work in and around the Jamarat Bridge area. Additional access ways, footbridges, and emergency exits were built, and the three cylindrical pillars were replaced with longer and taller oblong walls of concrete to enable more pilgrims simultaneous access to them without the jostling and fighting for position of recent years.
A 2006 incident is known to have killed at least 362 people in a similar stampede, apparently caused when people tripped over luggage that had been unloaded from a tour bus near the entryway, which serves as a bottleneck to accessing the bridge. The BBC News reports "The stone-throwing ritual in Mina has seen many stampedes, but the number of dead is the highest in 16 years."
Prior to this latest tragedy, the Saudi Arabian government had announced plans for a new, four-story bridge to help with the safety of the visitors.

Notes

# Deadly Mecca-crush Blamed on Bridge-Bottleneck Sydney Morning Herald, 13 January 2006.
# Minshawi.com
# Hajj ritual sees new safety moves BBC News Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 19:17 GMT.
# Hajj crush police 'not to blame' BBC News Friday, 13 January 2006, 17:34 GMT
# Nine-storey Jamrat Bridge will accommodate 9 million pilgrims per day Saudi Arabi Information Resource 04/02/2004.
As Hajj Begins, More Changes and Challenges In Store altmuslim.com, 13 December 2006

See also

Incidents during the Hajj

External links

★ Study on Crowd Movements on the Jamarat Bridge Crowd Dynamics Ltd. - International Crowd Safety Consultants, 24 June 2006.

★ Satellite photo of the Jamarat Bridge taken during the 2003 Hajj — GlobalSecurity.org