Pilgrims arrive for Hajj pilgrimage - in pictures

  • Muslim worshippers gather near the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
    Muslim worshippers gather near the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
  • Muslim pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
    Muslim pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
  • Muslims pray around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque. AFP
    Muslims pray around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque. AFP
  • Fans spray water vapour to cool pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
    Fans spray water vapour to cool pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
  • Pilgrims walk between the Marwa and Safa hills at the Grand Mosque. AFP
    Pilgrims walk between the Marwa and Safa hills at the Grand Mosque. AFP
  • A pilgrim prays at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
    A pilgrim prays at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
  • Worshippers gather around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
    Worshippers gather around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
  • Pilgrims pray around the Kaaba. AFP
    Pilgrims pray around the Kaaba. AFP
  • Pilgrims surround the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
    Pilgrims surround the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah. AFP
  • Hajj season at a shopping mall in Riyadh and a billboard reminds passers-by they need a permit to perform a pilgrimage. AFP
    Hajj season at a shopping mall in Riyadh and a billboard reminds passers-by they need a permit to perform a pilgrimage. AFP
  • Hajj pilgrims in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, leave for Makkah in Saudi Arabia. EPA
    Hajj pilgrims in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, leave for Makkah in Saudi Arabia. EPA
  • In Srinagar, a relative kisses a pilgrim before departure for the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah. EPA
    In Srinagar, a relative kisses a pilgrim before departure for the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah. EPA
  • A Saudi welcome for pilgrims on their arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. AFP
    A Saudi welcome for pilgrims on their arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. AFP
  • Yemeni pilgrims wish loved ones well as they prepare to board a flight from Sanaa airport to Makkah to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
    Yemeni pilgrims wish loved ones well as they prepare to board a flight from Sanaa airport to Makkah to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. AFP
  • At Kashmiri Mashjid in Kathmandu, Nepal, relatives gather to wish their grandmother well as she leaves for Hajj in Saudi Arabia. EPA
    At Kashmiri Mashjid in Kathmandu, Nepal, relatives gather to wish their grandmother well as she leaves for Hajj in Saudi Arabia. EPA