Muslim pilgrims pray on Mount Arafat amid soaring temperatures
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Saudi authorities have advised pilgrims to stay hydrated and protect themselves from the sun.
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Muslim pilgrims pray at dawn on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 15, 2024. (AFP)
More than 1.5 million Muslims are set to pray on Mount Arafat on Saturday, enduring soaring temperatures during the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Worshippers from around the globe will ascend the rocky 70-meter (230-foot) hill, located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Mecca, where Prophet Mohammad delivered his final sermon.
With desert summer heat expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit), the elderly are particularly vulnerable during this day of prayer and Quran recitation. Saudi authorities have advised pilgrims to stay hydrated and protect themselves from the sun.
#Hajj 2024/1445
— khalid Chougle (@ChougleKhalid) June 15, 2024
Watch : Haj Pilgrims Pray On Mount ARAFAT
Saudi Press Agency
More Than 1.5 Million Muslims Will Pray On Mount Arafat In Soaring Temperatures On Saturday,In The High-Point And Most Grueling Day Of The Annual Haj Pilgrimage.
Worshipers From All Over The World pic.twitter.com/DadutAYL8B
Last year, more than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded, with 10% being heat stroke, a Saudi official told AFP.
The vast crowds of worshippers spent the night in a tent city in Mina, a valley several kilometers outside Mecca, Islam's holiest city. Many were packed tightly into air-conditioned tents, lying close together on narrow mattresses.
After their time in Arafat, they will proceed to Muzdalifah to collect pebbles for the symbolic "stoning of the devil" ritual in Mina on Sunday.
The Hajj, one of the world's largest religious gatherings, is said to retrace the steps of Prophet Mohammad's pilgrimage, approximately 1,400 years ago.
Last year, Saudi Arabia hosted over 1.8 million pilgrims for the Hajj, with around 90% coming from abroad.
Additionally, it also received 13.5 million Muslims who performed Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken year-round and aims to reach 30 million by 2030.
This year's Hajj takes place amid the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians are forcibly prevented from leaving to perform the pilgrimage.
