Thousands of pilgrims started arriving in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Friday, among some 1 million Muslims expected to attend the 2022 hajj pilgrimage season after two years of major disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 6, 2022.
Wrapped in white robes, with some carrying umbrellas against the burning desert sun, hundreds performed the first ritual of the hajj, which involves walking in a circle around the Kaaba, the sacred building at the center of Mecca's Grand Mosque.
A Muslim pilgrim cries next to the Station of Ibrahim "Maqam Ibrahim," as Saudi Arabia welcomes back pilgrims for the 2022 hajj season, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 1, 2022.
"Praise be God ... It's impossible to describe my feelings right now," said Ahmed Sayed Mahmoud, an Egyptian pilgrim. "Being in the Grand Mosque and in the land of the two holy mosques makes me very happy."
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand Mosque as Saudi Arabia welcomes back pilgrims for the 2022 hajj season in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 1, 2022.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, allowed back foreign travelers this year to perform the hajj.
Muslim pilgrims pray on Noor mountain, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad received the first words of the Quran through Gabriel in the Hira cave, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia July 4, 2022.
Only a few thousand Saudi citizens and residents attended the annual pilgrimage in the last two years as COVID-19 wreaked havoc across the global economy and curtailed travel.
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 6, 2022.
However, authorities have said only 1 million people can join the 2022 season, less than half of pre-pandemic levels, and access is restricted to pilgrims aged 18 to 65 who have been fully vaccinated or immunized against the virus and do not suffer from chronic diseases.
Volunteer Abdulrahman al-Maani distributes watermelon to pilgrims leaving for Mecca for hajj, in Maan, Jordan, June 28, 2022.
Security officers mixed with pilgrims inside the mosque. A web of surveillance cameras oversaw its surroundings and checkpoints controlled access to the city to help ensure an incident-free hajj, which has been marred in the past by deadly stampedes, fires and riots.
A Muslim pilgrim prays on Mount Noor, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia July 4, 2022.
Over the years, the kingdom has spent billions of dollars on making one of the world's biggest religious gatherings more secure.
Muslim pilgrims visit Noor Mountain, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad received the first words of the Quran through Gabriel in the Hira cave, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 4, 2022.
The hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it but is a major source of income for the government.
Muslim pilgrims visit Noor Mountain, where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad received the first words of the Quran through Gabriel in the Hira cave, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 4, 2022.
In 2019, the last year before the pandemic struck, some 2.6 million people performed the hajj, while around 19 million took part in the Umrah, another form of pilgrimage to Mecca which – unlike the hajj – can be carried out at any time of the year.
Muslim pilgrims visit Noor Mountain, where Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad received the first words of the Quran through Gabriel in the Hira cave, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 4, 2022.
