'Hajj on Horseback: Stories from the Forgotten European Trail to Makkah' with Abdelkader Harkassi

Spain's Islamic past is admired in its architecture, yet overlooked in its history.

In October 2024, three Spanish Muslims, Abdelkader Harkassi, Abdullah Hernandez and Tariq Rodriguez, set out to change that. Riding from southern Spain to Makkah, the Hajj on Horseback team crossed twelve countries and more than 7,000 kilometres to revive the Andalusian tradition of making Hajj by land, last performed over 500 years ago.

Raised in Granada, Abdelkader shares the people, trials and chance encounters that shaped the journey, and how a single expedition drew Muslims together from the rural villages of Europe to the heart of the Middle East's cities.

These stories and images are being compiled into a forthcoming book, an extract of which will be shared exclusively with attendees.

This event is part of the Muslim LitFest. Find our full programme of events here: buytickets.at/muslimlitfestlondon26

Abdelkader Harkassi is a Spanish Muslim and key member of the Hajj on Horseback expedition. Over an eight months period, he and his team rode their horses for more than 7,000 kilometers, through twelve countries, travelling from southern Spain to Makkah to revive an Andalusian tradition for the first time in 500 years. Along the way, they served as cultural ambassadors across Europe and the Middle East, bringing international representation to Spain's Muslim community.

This event is sponsored by Beacon Books
Publishing classic and contemporary books since 2012
www.beaconbooks.net