Being in Makkah has been nothing short of blissful for Hassan Qadiri, where participating in the festivities of the Haj pilgrimage is a welcome relief after weeks of devastating war back home in Iran, according to AFP.

Qadiri and his family took cover as intense Israeli and American bombing raids targeted his native city of Isfahan in central Iran until an April ceasefire began.

“We hear the call to prayer every day, not explosions here,” he tells AFP. “I’m very happy.”

Like many Iranians at this year’s Haj, Qadiri and his family are staying in a hotel near the Grand Mosque under the protection of Saudi security personnel, who actively prevent others from approaching the grounds to meet or speak with the pilgrims. The protocol is not provided to other visiting pilgrims.

“The Saudi treatment of us is good and everything is fine,” Qadiri adds.

His wife, who did not give her name and wore a black abaya with a turquoise vest that read “Isfahan”, agrees.

“Being here makes the war easier for us to bear,” she adds.