Muslims concluded the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Saturday by circling around the holy site of the black cube-shaped Kaaba. This final ritual involves walking counter-clockwise seven times around the stone building at the centre of the Great Mosque, serving as a spiritual goodbye to Islam’s holiest site.
Over 1.5 million Muslims undertook the pilgrimage this year, amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran and in temperatures that sometimes exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
The Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able.
Performed over several days, it is seen as a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness.
