Hajj pilgrims perform final rituals in Mecca before heading to Mina
Saudi Arabia says around 1.2 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in the country for annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Muslim worshippers and pilgrims gather around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on June 24, 2023 / Photo: AFP
Muslim pilgrims have streamed into Mecca's Kabaa to perform their final rituals before heading to Mina in preparation for the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings on the planet.
They moved on Saturday through the white marble courtyards of Islam's holiest site to perform the tawaf, the walking circuit around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, their fervent recitations and duaa ringing through the air.
People on the ground floor closest to the Kaaba shuffled due to the sheer number of participants.
Those on the upper floors were able to walk more briskly. Pilgrims raised their hands in supplication, took selfies or video, and phoned their relatives as they performed the tawaf.
They then walked or ran between two hills in a re-enactment of Hajira's [prophet Ibrahim's wife] search for water for her son, Ismail, a story that occurs in different forms in Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.
Pilgrims walk beside pigeons outside the Grand Mosque, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Pilgrims must enter a state of spiritual purity, known as ihram, for the Hajj.
Men wear seamless white robes, a rule intended to promote unity among the rich and poor.
Women cover their bodies and hair.
In between rituals and the five daily prayers, which bring the area to a solemn standstill, pilgrims sought out shade, snacked and flocked to the many shops and air-conditioned malls encircling the Grand Mosque to relax before the arduous days ahead.
Russian pilgrim Artur Aslanov, left, chats with Mauritanian pilgrim Memoud Mohamed, outside the Grand Mosque.
"I think this year [the] crowd is too much," said Mahboub Morshed, a 42-year-old software engineer from Bangladesh, referring to the thinner attendance of previous years.
"But the government and this management [Ministry of Hajj and Umrah] is trying to manage this very smoothly."
Pakistani pilgrim Mubarak Ali Shah leads pilgrims as they pray outside the Grand Mosque.
Two million expected to do Hajj
Saudi Arabia has restored full pilgrim capacity for this year's Hajj, following three years of dramatically reduced numbers due to the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia said around 1.2 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in the kingdom for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
"About 1.2 million worshipers were received at the Two Holy Mosques," Sheikh Abdulrahman al Sudais, head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, said in statements cited by state news agency SPA.
"This is the largest number of worshipers in Saudi Arabia since the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.
Saudi Arabia expects to receive more than two million Muslim pilgrims for Hajj this year.
Pilgrims descend the slopes of Jabal Al-Nour mountain after visiting the cave of Hira.
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