Before and after photos show how coronavirus fears have emptied out some the busiest holy sites
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Mecca, one of the holiest Islamic sites, is usually bustling with people making their way around the Kaaba as part of their pilgrimage.
That Kaaba, the cube at the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca is central to the Hajj but also considered when of the most sacred spots in Islam. Muslims everywhere pray in its direction and locals and foreigners alike visit the site all year around.
Source: Business Insider
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The site is significant for the 1.8 billion Muslims around the globe, and millions visit every year.
Source: Pew Research Center
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On March 5, the Kaaba was completely empty for sanitation. It was reopened on March 6, but it's still unclear if pilgrims would be allowed in.
Source: Middle East Eye , Reuters
Saudi residents have apparently also been banned from visiting the holy sites, as authorities step up efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in the country.
Source: Middle East Eye
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Millions of pilgrims and tourist visited the Hazrat Masumeh shrine every year, but has become entangled in the new coronavirus outbreak in Iran.
Source: BBC
While travel to the shrine, and city of Qom has not been banned, new precautions were put in place. Visitors can not go in before they've been given hand sanitizer, masks, and health information.
Source: BBC
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