One of the five pillars of Islam is that the faithful must, at least once in their lives, gather for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Physically rigorous, the journey makes great demands upon the body; rest becomes a spiritual necessity.
(The nap pod in Saudi Arabia)
The nap pods provide a solution for pilgrims of limited means who cannot afford to book hotels on site but need a quick rest during hajj.
Each napper will have three hours of access to the pods, which are imported from Japan at cost of around $1,114 (1,000 euros) each.
When the pilgrim wakes for prayer time — five times daily in Islam — workers will sterilize the pod before handing it over to the next pilgrim.
Poul Anderson's 'Brain Wave'
"Everybody and his dog, it seemed, wanted to live out in the country; transportation and communication were no longer isolating factors." - Poul Anderson, 1953.
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