‘Largest Hajj pilgrimage in history’ begins in Saudi Arabia
The number of pilgrims this year is expected to break records at more than 2.5 million.
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The pilgrimage of Hajj has begun as crowds of Muslims donning white robes circle the Kaaba, the cubed structure at the epicentre of Islam’s holiest site, their prayers ringing through the air.
The annual pilgrimage began on Sunday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia with the tawaf, the circling of the Kaaba, in an event that is expected to break attendance records.
“This year, we will witness the largest Hajj pilgrimage in history,” said an official at the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
More than 2.5 million Muslims are expected to take part, as coronavirus pandemic restrictions in place since 2020 have been fully relaxed.
That year, just 10,000 people were permitted to participate; 59,000 in 2021; and last year there was a cap of one million people.
“I am living the most beautiful days of my life,” Abdelazim, a 65-year-old Egyptian who saved for 20 years to pay the $6000 cost he needed to attend, told the AFP news agency at the site.
On Sunday evening, the pilgrims will begin making their way to Mina, about 8km (5 miles) from Mecca’s al-Masjid al-Haram, or the Grand Mosque, before they gather at Mount Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have delivered his final sermon.
Mina is prepared for the pilgrims, with food supplies brought in and security forces deployed.
