Muslim Pilgrims Arrive to Mecca for Annual Haj Pilgrimage

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims begin rituals in Mecca ahead of the annual Haj pilgrimage, which will start in five days. Thousands of pilgrims have arrived to Saudi Arabia ahead of time to perform tawaf, one of the Islamic rituals of pilgrimage in which Hajj pilgrims walk around the Kaaba, a shrine in the shape of a black cube, located in the center of Mecca’s Grand Mosque. As of Saturday, August 3, a total of 1,516,101 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia by transport, according to statistics issued by the Saudi General Directorate of Passports. (AP)