The team aiming to make it to the Hajj by cycling 4000 miles have passed the half-way stage of their mammoth journey.
They reached Turkey this week which takes past the 30 day mark of their sixty day challenge.
The Tour De Hajj (TDH) challenge for Penny Appeal from London to Makkah is hoping to raise tens of thousands for charity. The money raised will fund a model village consisting of schools, places of worship and a water well in four countries - Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Uganda.
The group of eight set off after Eid and set to arrive in Madinah on 2 August.
The journey over 4000 miles will take in 17 countries with the cyclists hoping to complete 75 miles a day.
They are charting their journey on social media which ahs included the real trials and tribulations of taking on such a feat. The team have met with kindness from locals and met a group of migrants heading across Europe on foot.
All images courtesy @TourdeHajj
Last stop inthe UK was the Al Medinah Mosque Brighton!
On Day 4 it was Paris. The team posted "Merci #Paris #SubhanAllah the team made it down here safely thanks to all of your prayers and (below) rest time heading into the Swiss Alps.
DAY 12/60: Lots of climbing today but the views are INSANE! 😍🇨🇭 we’ll be touching down Austria soon, then #Liechtenstein. #Switzerland is a must visit #Subhanallah 🙏🏻
— Tour de Hajj (@TourdeHajj) 18 June 2019
Keep them donations coming guys!!! https://t.co/D4JcuGV8jQ #TourDeHajj @pennyappeal pic.twitter.com/H9v2xG3os5
Here Blackburn's Shahzad was surprised when his family paid them a visit in Maser, Italy.
Heading towards the Slovian border the team said, "This was emotional. We were leaving Italy towards the Slovenian border, we bumped into these guys who had been walking all the way from Pakistan! Please keep them in your prayers and may Allah make their journey easy #TourDeHajj."
On day 19 they touched down at the beautiful Mosque in Rijeka, Croatia
On day number 20 the team said, "Something miraculous about our journey is the incredible people we meet along the way. A lovely lady stopped us, made us all coffee as she saw us passing through her village. She also introduced us to her lovely neighbours who well-wished our journey! #TourDeHajj"
A reminder why the journey is taking place
We sometimes need those tough reminders about why we’re on this journey 🙏🏻 it’s always love in the #TourDeHajj camp 💚
— Tour de Hajj (@TourdeHajj) 1 July 2019
Please keep them donations coming. We really need your support!!! https://t.co/icgQcVdRja #TourDeHajj @pennyappeal #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/lfbmuItojX
Rest day in Sarajevo yesterday.
Here the team are in Montenegro wehre they said this amazing family in Pljevlja looked after them. They said, "They gave us food & told us some lovely stories about their grandparents Alhumdulillah we safely made it into Serbia yesterday."
Sunset in Serbia
The team are seen here praying in touched down Plovdiv in Bulgaria and cycled over a 100 miles in a day. The mosque in the photo is more than 700 years old!
Off to Lubymets which is on the Bulgarian/Turkey/Greece border. Having some lunch outsdie a Lidl!
In Sofia, Bulgaria
PLEASE SHARE!
— Tour de Hajj (@TourdeHajj) 9 July 2019
DAY 33/60: Here’s a quick highlight of our journey up to earlier on today 🙏🏻 please SHARE - we STILL haven’t hit our fundraising target 🙌 💚https://t.co/D4JcuGV8jQ @pennyappeal #TourDeHajj pic.twitter.com/WMaaZHL7FN
Braving the rains in Greece
Here we are on Day 34 and arriving the Turkey and the inspiring Turkish mosques.
The @TourdeHajj squad have made it to #Turkey!!! Arriving in #Istanbul hopefully on Friday Insha Allah!!! The riders will spend 3 nights to rest in Istanbul before moving on to #Egypt then #SaudiArabia! Follow, support & DONATE!!! https://t.co/t3SPd2Mx4A #TourDeHajj pic.twitter.com/s4tsENPXv6
— Haroon Mota (@Haroon_Mota) 10 July 2019
You can keep updated with the team on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter via @tourdehajj
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here