AFP, Mt Arafat: Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims prayed at Mount Arafat in searing heat yesterday at the height of an annual hajj pilgrimage held in the Saudi Arabian summer.
Worshippers crowded the rocky rise and surrounding area from before dawn and when the sun appeared, it revealed vast numbers of white-robed worshippers thronging the sacred site.
The ritual is the high point of the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam.
This year's hajj pilgrimage has drawn more than 1.8 million worshippers, Saudi Arabia's statistics authority said yesterday, a long way short of a record despite predictions of peak attendance.
"I'm very happy. It's a moment I have been waiting for my entire life," said Fadia Abdallah, 67, from Egypt, wearing a white abaya and sitting on the ground beneath an umbrella.
High temperatures have been a constant challenge for the pilgrims, who come from around the world. Tree-shaped water towers sprayed cooling showers on the visitors, and free water bottles and snacks were handed out from large trucks.
Six field hospitals with more than 300 beds have been arranged in Arafat, Yasser Bair, a Saudi defence ministry official, told the state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV.
The hajj is a life goal for many Muslims, who are expected to perform the pilgrimage at least once if they are financially and physically capable.
The pilgrims prayed all day at Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is said to have given his final sermon. After sunset, they will travel the short distance to Muzdalifah, where they will sleep in the open air.
They will gather pebbles and hurl them at three giant concrete walls in the symbolic "stoning of the devil" ritual today.
Then they will return to Makkah's Grand Mosque -- Islam's holiest site -- for a final circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube that Muslims worldwide pray towards each day.
At this year's hajj, which follows the lunar calendar and is not always held in summer, a maximum age limit has also been removed, allowing thousands of elderly to attend.
American engineer Ahmed Ahmadine said he felt "blessed" to be able to take part in the pilgrimage. "I try to focus on praying for my family and friends," said the 37-year-old. "This is an opportunity that will not be repeated."
