Millions of pilgrims head from Makkah to Mina as Hajj begins

A sea of pilgrims started arriving in the largest tent cities of Mina from Makkah as the annual Hajj pilgrimage began in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The Mina Valley, located 5km east of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, is a 250-hectare open space filled with over 100,000 air-conditioned tents, accommodating more than 2.6 pilgrims.

The eighth day of Zil Hajj, also known as Yawm-Al-Tarwiyah, is the day when Muslims come to Mina to prepare themselves for the day of Arafat.

On the same day, believers walk seven rounds around Kaaba for the welcoming Tawaf and touch Hijrah-e-Aswad — the black stone Prophet (P.B.U.H) had installed in Kaaba.

In the afternoon, the pilgrims will head to the Safa and Marwa mountains near Kaaba. They will walk seven times between the hills to recall the Prophet Ismael’s mother, Hazrat Hajra's search for water for her son.

At dawn on the 9th of Zil Hajj, the pilgrims will embark on their journey to Mount Arafat, where the Hajj sermon will be delivered from Masjid al-Nimra.

At sunset, the pilgrims would depart Arafat for Muzdalifah, where they would perform Maghrib and Isha prayers. Later, they will collect pebbles for the ritual of Rami. The 10th of Zilhaj, the Day of Sacrifice, will witness pilgrims offering sacrifices.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, over 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform the sacred pilgrimage this year.