AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Thousands of Muslim worshippers made their way out of Mecca after completing the annual Hajj pilgrimage in scorching temperatures.
This year, over 1.8 million worshippers participated in the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
On Friday, two days after the final major ritual, a multitude of people filled the roads and boarded buses to leave the holy sites in Mecca, bringing the Hajj to a close. Before departing, they performed a farewell "tawaf," circling the Kaaba seven times in Mecca's Grand Mosque.
Some of the pilgrims will head to their home countries, while some others will depart for Medina to visit Islam's second-holiest city and the Prophet's Mosque there.
Hajj started on Monday, June 26, following the sighting of the moon in Saudi Arabia, and ended on Friday, June 30. Pilgrims performed various rites such as circling the Kaaba seven times, walking or running between the hills of Safa and Marwa, standing on Mount Arafat, stoning the devil, sacrificing animals, and shaving their heads.
While the Hajj has a history of tragic incidents, such as stampedes and militant attacks, this year's main challenge was the extreme heat.
Saudi authorities reported over 2,000 cases of heat stress, with temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) during the annual rites.
More than 230 deaths were registered during Hajj this year, primarily from Indonesia, while the specific causes have not yet been named. The actual number of heat-related cases is likely much higher, as many sufferers did not seek medical assistance.
This year's attendance marked a significant increase from the previous year when numbers were restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Hajj has recently fallen in the Saudi summer, coinciding with escalating desert temperatures caused by climate change. Experts predict that temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius could become a regular occurrence in Saudi Arabia by the end of the century.
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