FX.co ★ Hajj 2016: experiencing holy pilgrimage

The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj, this year begins on Saturday, September 10 and will end on Wednesday, September 14.

This duty for Muslims has to be carried out at least once in their lifetime, as long as they are physically able to take this journey and afford it.

Photo: Muslims on pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia.

Nearly three million Muslims performing the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia began making their way up the rocky desert Mount Arafat on Monday, chanting that they have come to answer God's call.

For the participants of the hajj, a tent camp is set up in the Mina valley. Pilgrims flock to Arafat, also known as the Mount of Mercy, after spending a night of meditation and introspection in the tent city of Mina, which marks the first leg of the pilgrimage. Pilgrims then make their way to Muzdalifah, where they spend the night under the stars and gather pebbles to perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil". The ritual is an emulation of Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where he is said to have appeared trying to dissuade the biblical patriarch from obeying God's order to sacrifice Ishmael.

Photo: Hajj participants are learning the information stand in a tent camp.

Photo: Muslim pilgrims pray at the foot of Mount Arafat.

According to official figures, more than 1.8 million faithful took part in the 2016 Hajj. The authorities of Saudi Arabia have noted that the number of male pilgrims reaches one million people, the female pilgrims - about 800 thousand.

All male pilgrims, regardless of wealth or status, wear a seamless two-piece white garment, symbolising a state of purity and emphasising equality. Women also generally wear white, exposing only their faces and hands.

In the tent camp pilgrims are given three meals daily, water, soft drinks and various services.

Photo: Pilgrims on the background of a tent city in Mina.