ANKARA, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 24 Turkish hajjis have died due to bad health condition as they were in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to make the spiritual pilgrimage, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Tuesday.

    Officials of Turkey's Directorate General of Religious Affairs were quoted as saying that the 24 Turkish hajjis died due to high blood pressure, heart failure or old age since Dec. 3, 2005.  

    Turkey has already sent several health and transportation teams to Mecca and Medina to help Turkish hajjis.

    The number of Turkish hajjis to the Muslim holy land of Meccais expected to reach 100,000 by Jan. 4, Anatolia said.   Millions of Muslims from more than 70 countries journey to Mecca each year to perform the Hajj which begins on the eighth day of the 12th month of the Islamic year.

    Muslims trace the origin of the Hajj to the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismael. Muslim's holy book Koran credits them with building the Kaaba, the shrine in Mecca toward which Muslims turnseven times each day when praying.

    Over the course of the Hajj, Hajjis travel nine miles from Mecca to the Plain of Arafat and back, stopping at the sacred sites of Mina and Muzdalifa to perform prayer rituals.  Enditem