Hajj pilgrims circumambulate Kaaba
- 13 years ago
Pilgrims begin arriving for the Hajj in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca.
The Hajj pilgrimage is essentially a series of rites performed in or near Mecca - the most sacred of Islam's three holy cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
As the Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, all financially and physically-able believers must make this pilgrimage at least once in their life.
While in Mecca, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate - or walk around - the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site, seven times in a counterclockwise direction.
The Hajj must be made between the eighth and 13th days of the 12th month of the Muslim lunar year.
The number of pilgrims in Mecca is expected to peak during the first or second week of November.
Travis Brecher, Reuters
The Hajj pilgrimage is essentially a series of rites performed in or near Mecca - the most sacred of Islam's three holy cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.
As the Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, all financially and physically-able believers must make this pilgrimage at least once in their life.
While in Mecca, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate - or walk around - the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site, seven times in a counterclockwise direction.
The Hajj must be made between the eighth and 13th days of the 12th month of the Muslim lunar year.
The number of pilgrims in Mecca is expected to peak during the first or second week of November.
Travis Brecher, Reuters