Muslim pilgrims continued on Tuesday to perform the sacred rituals of the Hajj pilgrimage on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia, despite sweltering heat.
Unlike previous years, the streets around the Namira Mosque, the second largest mosque in the Mecca area, were deserted at midday, with most pilgrims praying inside, in air-conditioned spaces.
Pilgrims from around the world gathered Tuesday on a hill in the plains of Arafat, on the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the high point of the Ha
jj.
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is obligatory once in a lifetime for every Muslim who is financially able and physically capable of undertaking it. The event, which spans several days, can be a profoundly moving spiritual experience for pilgrims and an opportunity to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.
This year, Muslims flocked to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj amid a fragile ceasefire in the war with Iran and the resulting uncertainty in the region.
