Saudi Arabia is welcoming Muslims from around the globe for one of the world's largest annual gatherings as the ancient hajj ritual begins. This year's pilgrimage has wide political significance.
Image: REUTERS/S. Salem
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Hajj pilgrimage gets underway in Saudi Arabia
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Almost two million Muslims from around the world on Wednesday descended on Islam's holiest site Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage.
As one of the five pillars of Islam, every able-bodied Muslim of appropriate financial means is required to complete the five-day ritual at least once in their lifetime.
A history of accidents: Authorities assure pilgrims they have measures in place to avoid a repeat of the 2015 stampede that killed more than 2,000 people and the 2006 stampede that killed more than 300 people
What is the Hajj?
One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca every Muslim is required to do at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able. Here are the key things you need to know.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Hamra
Millions of Muslim pilgrims
The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the most holy city for Muslims. All Muslims are expected to perform this religious duty at least once in their lifetime, if they are physically and financially able. It's one of the five pillars of Islam, or core ritual practices, and considered to be the largest gathering of people in the world, with millions attending every year.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Y. Arhab
Following the prophet
As many as 3 million pilgrims perform a series of rituals over the course of five or six days. First, they stop to pray at the Grand Mosque, home to a cubic building draped in black silk called the Kaaba, Islam's most important shrine.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Gharabli
Stoning the devil
Pilgrims travel to the village of Mina to again pray and read from the Quran. Next they spend a day at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon, to ask for forgiveness. On their return journey to Mecca, the pilgrims stop on a plain called Muzdalifah to collect stones, which they will throw at three pillars in Mina to symbolically stone the devil.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/O. Akkanat
Circling Kaaba
Finally, upon returning to Mecca, the pilgrims will circle the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque seven times, bringing their Hajj to a close. They then shave their heads and perform an animal sacrifice before celebrating the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Hamra
Tragedy during Hajj
Since 1987, more than 5,800 people have died in building collapses, stampedes, trampling and fires. In 2015, a stampede resulted in around 2,400 deaths, making it the worst catastrophe in the history of the Hajj. The pilgrimage is also a hotbed of infectious disease, as pilgrims from every corner of the planet often trek around in the heat barefoot and share tight sleeping quarters.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
Bringing the new to the old
While the Hajj is the oldest and most sacred ritual of Islam, it has also been brought into the 21st century. The Saudi government is using the latest in crowd-control techniques to prevent trampling and architectural collapses. On YouTube, they telecast live Hajj feeds and now, Google, iTunes and other sites have come out with apps to help pilgrims better understand and perform the Hajj rituals.
