Muslims from around the world began the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Friday, with authorities expecting 2 million people to gather this year amid the sweltering heat.
After circumnavigating the Kaaba, the stone cube-shaped sacred building within the Grand Mosque in Mecca, pilgrims head to the nearby Mina Valley where they will spend the night in a huge tent city.
On the second day they go to Mount Arafat, about 20 kilometers east of Mecca, where they stay until sunset at what is considered the highlight of the Hajj pilgrimage.
With temperatures in and around Mecca expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius, authorities have urged pilgrims to carry umbrellas to protect themselves during the rituals.
The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is an obligatory obligation that all Muslims must make once in their lives – if they are physically able to undertake the journey to the Prophet Muhammad’s birthplace and have the financial resources .
Men wear seamless white clothing and women wear loose garments as they perform the same rituals in a demonstration of religious unity, equality and the pursuit of spiritual renewal.
The pilgrimage takes place from the eighth to the twelfth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
