A Blackburn man who launched travel tours to Palestine said there been a growing interest to view the holy sites in the territory.

Mohammed Shafiq, who runs First Qibla Tours, said following the pandemic he had seen many travellers opting to travel to Palestine because of rising costs elsewhere.

He said: “We have certainly seen people within the Muslim community coming to us saying they were looking to go on the Hajj (annual pilgrimage) but were unable to this year due to the rising costs.

“In addition we help many Muslims visit their three holiest places, Mecca, Madina and Jerusalem. We visit the historic religious sites and our guided tours help them gain the best experience possible.”

First Qibla tours have been providing tours to Jerusalem over the past seven years and now we have teamed up with a 'Biblical team' on ground.

Shafiq said: “This is something we are very pleased to offer members of the Christian community in the area so they can visit the beautiful biblical sites that reside in the city. 

“The visit includes stop overs at the the holy sites in Jerusalem, the mount of olives, Bethlehem, Jericho, Mount Temptation, the Sycamore Tree, the Jordan river, Nazareth and Galilee.

“You can walk the streets of great history of the old city dating back to the first century.

“We have found this is something of interest to Muslims too for whom the Prophet Isa (Jesus) is held in high regard.”

Shafiq said it was important to have dedicated tour guides on the ground.

He added: “People realise quite quickly if you do not have the right contacts there. It is important to have UK group leader with you to make sure everything is according to plan.

“We have list of hotels that we use from economy to five star and we have some great reviews from people who have been with us.”

“As well as mosque groups we are happy to accommodate church and local community groups.”

Mohammed Shafiq can be contacted on 07519 403918.