On Friday in Mecca, Muslim worshippers performed their night prayers ahead of the Hajj, one of the largest gatherings in the Islamic calendar.
Pilgrims were seen performing the Tawaf, the ritual of circling the sacred Kaaba seven times in a counter-clockwise direction.
Once a year, a large number of Muslim pilgrims converge on Saudi Arabia, uniting in religious rituals and acts of worship to perform the Hajj.
While fulfilling a religious obligation, they immerse themselves in what may be the spiritual experience of a lifetime and an opportunity to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.
This year, the Hajj took place against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in the war in Iran, as well as related tensions and uncertainties in the Middle East.
Earlier this year, the transport chaos caused by the war trapped some Muslims who were in Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah, often called the lesser pilgrimage. Some found themselves stranded and had to find their own way home.
The Hajj takes place once a year during the lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar year. This year, the Hajj will officially begin on Monday.
