Hajj pilgrims on Monday began ascending Mount Arafat for the climax of the annual pilgrimage which brings together more than two million people from around the world.
A sea of worshippers scaled the rocky hill southeast of the Makkah for a day of prayers and reflection where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) delivered his final sermon.
Some of the pilgrims — men in white seamless garments and women in loose dresses — pushed elderly relatives in wheelchairs on the second day of the hajj, one of the world’s largest annual gatherings.
A hot wind blew across the hill, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy), and the surrounding plain after a downpour late Sunday. Many faithful could be seen sipping from bottles of water.
After sunset, the pilgrims will leave for nearby Muzdalifah where they will gather pebbles to perform the symbolic “stoning of the devil”.
The ritual begins in earnest on Tuesday as the first day of Eid al-Adha. AFP