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29 March 2024

Haj in pictures: 2 million faithful...

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By AFP

Muslim pilgrims circle counterclockwise Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Makkah, late on September 21, 2015. The annual Haj pilgrimage begins on September 22, and more than a million faithful have already flocked to Saudi Arabia in preparation for what will for many be the highlight of their spiritual lives. AFP

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from across the globe began the annual Haj pilgrimage on Tuesday in one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.

Muslim pilgrims circle counterclockwise Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Makkah, late on September 21, 2015. The annual Haj pilgrimage begins on September 22, and more than a million faithful have already flocked to Saudi Arabia in preparation for what will for many be the highlight of their spiritual lives. AFP

In what for many will be the highlight of their spiritual lives, pilgrims began moving from Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah to nearby Mina for the start of the six-day event.

Muslim pilgrims touch Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba, at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Makkah, late on September 21, 2015. The annual Haj pilgrimage begins on September 22, and more than a million faithful have already flocked to Saudi Arabia in preparation for what will for many be the highlight of their spiritual lives. AFP

Almost two million people are expected to take part in this year's pilgrimage, undeterred by a crane collapse at Makkah’s Grand Mosque earlier this month that killed 109 people and injured nearly 400 at Islam's holiest site.

Muslim pilgrims wearing hand free umbrellas, leave after the afternoon (Asr) prayer at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Makkah, on September 21, 2015. The annual Haj pilgrimage begins on September 22, and more than a million faithful have already flocked to Saudi Arabia in preparation for what will for many be the highlight of their spiritual lives. AFP

Joyous pilgrims like 35-year-old Egyptian Walaa Ali had been gathering for days ahead of the event.

In this Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015 photo, Saudi security officers monitor live feed screens showing Muslim pilgrims in the holy city of Makkah, along with highways and high density areas, a few days before the annual pilgrimage, known as the Haj, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has deployed 100,000 security personnel to oversee the annual Islamic Haj pilgrimage that begins on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry spokesman said on Saturday. (AP)

"It is a gift from God that He has chosen us to come here," Ali said with tears in her eyes, as preachers nearby explained the history and rituals of the Hajj to men and women sitting side by side in Makkah.

Yemenis gather at a livestock market in the capital Sanaa on September 21, 2015, ahead of the Muslim feast of Eid Al Adha. Muslims across the world will celebrate the annual festival of Eid Al Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the Haj pilgrimage to Makkahand in commemoration of Prophet Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son to show obedience to God. AFP

"I am so happy to be here," she said.

Vendors bathe a goat in a lake before taking it to a livestock market for sale ahead of the Eid Al Adha festival in Ahmedabad, India, September 21, 2015. (Reuters)

This year's Haj takes place against a backdrop of increased jihadist violence in some Muslim countries, a surge of the potentially deadly Mers virus and the war in Saudi Arabia's neighbour Yemen.

Kashmiri vendors stand with their goats as they wait for customers at a livestock market ahead of the Eid Al Adha festival in Srinagar September 21, 2015. (Reuters)

The Haj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform the pilgrimage at least once in his or her life.

A Pakistani man transports goats at a livestock market ahead of the sacrificial Eid Al Adha festival in Islamabad on September 21, 2015. (AFP)

About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure pilgrimage sites and manage the crowds.

Workers feed camels at an animal market on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, September 20, 2015. (Reuters)

The first day of the Haj is known as Tarwiah Day, when pilgrims traditionally watered their animals and stocked water for their trip to Mount Arafat, about 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of Mina.

An Afghan boy carries a sheep on his shoulder at a livestock market ahead of the sacrificial Eid Al Adha festival in Kabul on Septmber 22, 2015. (AFP)

Pilgrims stay in specially-built fireproof tents in Mina, a city which only comes alive during Haj season.

A Palestinian man displays a goat at a live stock market in Deir Al Balah, in the center of the Gaza Strip, ahead of Eid Al Adha on September 22, 2015. (AFP)

At Mount Arafat they will pray and recite from the Quran during the climax of the Haj season on Wednesday.

An Afghan boy waits for customers at a livestock market ahead of the sacrificial Eid Al Adha festival in Kabul on Septmber 22, 2015. (AFP)

Mount Arafat, a rocky hill on a vast plain, is where the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is believed to have given his final sermon after leading his followers on the Haj.

A vendor sharpens a knife for the upcoming Muslim festival of Eid Al Adha in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Sept. 21, 2015. (AP)

With the start of the Haj, pilgrims enter ihram, a state of purity in which they must not quarrel, wear perfume, cut their nails, or trim their hair or beards.

A boy tries to control a goat at a livestock market ahead of the Eid Al Adha festival in Bengaluru, India, September 22, 2015. (Reuters)

During ihram, men wear a seamless two-piece shroud-like white garment, symbolising resurrection and emphasising unity regardless of social status or nationality.

Women must wear loose dresses, generally also white, exposing only their faces and hands.

Early on Tuesday some ihram-clad pilgrims could be seen wheeling suitcases out of their hotel in the Red Sea city of Jeddah to begin the journey to Mount Arafat about 140 kilometres (90 miles) away.

Haj in numbers

The Muslim Hajj which begins on Tuesday in western Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest annual gatherings.

Here are some figures illustrating its scale:

- Almost 1.4 million pilgrims from around the world have already arrived. A total of about two million, including hundreds of thousands from within the kingdom, are expected.

- The world's largest Muslim-populated nation, Indonesia, has sent more than 168,000 pilgrims.

- 80 percent of international pilgrims come in official Hajj delegations from their countries. The other 20 percent come with tourism companies.

- About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure the hajj, maintain safety of pilgrims, and manage traffic and crowds.

- The health ministry has mobilised 25,000 additional healthcare workers. To care for ailing pilgrims it has 5,000 beds, including 500 for intensive care. There are eight "seasonal hospitals" which complement permanent medical facilities.

- 12 new plasma screens, each more than two metres (yards) wide, will broadcast messages to pilgrims outside the Grand Mosque, the Saudi Gazette reported.

- The Grand Mosque is being expanded by roughly 400,000 square metres (4.3-million-square-feet) which is the equivalent of more than 50 football pitches.

- The average spending for every pilgrim coming from abroad is between $4,600 to $5,000 during Hajj season, according to Maher Jamal, chairman of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

- 740 fire hydrants and 800 taps are connected to a 100-kilometre water network, helping to ensure fire safety at Mina, where fireproof tents can accommodate 2.6 million pilgrims.