More than 1.3 million pilgrims begin Hajj in Saudi Arabia

More than 1.3 million Muslim pilgrims from around the world began the Hajj pilgrimage to the Saudi holy city of Mecca this weekend, amid new security measures.

The pilgrims gathered Saturday on the first day of the Hajj in Mina, located about 7 kilometers east of Mecca and where around 180,000 tents were pitched to accommodate more than 1.6 million pilgrims for the night.

Dressed in simple white seamless clothes, the pilgrims dedicated the first day to praying, reading and reciting verses from the Quran as well as discussing religious matters, before they headed at dawn today to Mount Arafat, where Prophet Mohammed performed the same rituals about 1,400 years ago.

After sunset the devotees will travel to the small town of Muzdalifah, where they will spend the night and collect pebbles to throw on Monday, the first day of Eid alAdha (the Festival of Sacrifice), at three pillars which symbolize the temptation to disobey God.

Eid alAdha is celebrated this year on Sept. 12, marking the end of the Hajj by slaughtering sheep, camels, cows or goats to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God’s command.

This year Saudi authorities have implemented strict safety and surveillance measures to prevent a repeat of last year’s tragedy, when around 2,000 pilgrims died in a stampede.

Major General Mansour alTurki, security spokesman from the Ministry of Interior, said yesterday that the mission of the security forces was to facilitate compliance with the rites of the Hajj and to oversee the safety of pilgrims, as well as monitoring any unusual activity.

He added that the vast majority of devotees had spent their first night in Mina and their journeys had gone smoothly.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said yesterday that its centers have treated 9,895 pilgrims, performing more than 20 heart surgeries and administering first aid to 171 people.

The ministry has hired 420 translators speaking over 67 languages to facilitate communication between medical staff and patients.

The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the “shahada” (profession of faith), almsgiving, prayer and fasting during Ramadan.