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The Latest Breaking News from Mecca

Extreme weather brings winds, fierce rains to Saudi Arabia’s Mecca

Pilgrims doing the tawaf on Tuesday were caught in storms as lightning hit an iconic tower in Mecca.

Al Jazeera

China makes it harder for its Muslim citizens to go to Mecca, or anywhere else

Chinese Muslims take roundabout trips for their Hajj pilgrimage, trying to circumvent China's tightened surveillance at every turn — and possible arrest on their return, pilgrims and tour leaders say.

WEKU

Paris Olympics: with 365 days to go, will this mega-event clinch a sustainability gold medal?

Mega-events such as the Coachella Music Festival, the pilgrimages to Mecca and the World Cup have become increasingly prominent in contemporary times, yet we often neglect to consider the environmental impact of bringing tens of thousands and sometimes millions of people together.

The Conversation

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
read the most diverse news in one place.

Women can now undertake Islamic pilgrimages without a male guardian in Saudi Arabia, but that doesn't mean they're traveling alone -- communities are an important part of the religious experience

Saudi Arabia has changed its decadeslong rule that mandated single women be accompanied by a male relative when performing an Islamic pilgrimage, facilitating the participation of thousands of single Muslim women in the Hajj in 2023.

The Conversation

AP Month in Pictures: Middle East

Violence continued in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip between Israeli security forces and Palestinian militants. The gallery also shows how people coped with the heat wave around the region and during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia; poverty in Pakistan; and the Pride party in…

The Independent UK

How Mecca is the lynchpin for Saudi Arabia's hospitality and tourism drive

Saudi Arabia is pumping billions of dollars into the holy city of Mecca to meet its ambitious economic targets, with high-end hotels, apartment blocks, retailers and restaurants planned for areas around the Grand Mosque

The Independent UK

Millions of pilgrims converge on Saudi Arabia for Hajj

It's one of the largest religious gatherings in the world: the Hajj pilgrimage is underway this week in Saudi Arabia, with some 2 million Muslims converging in Mecca and at Mount Arafat. This year's Hajj could be the largest on record, according to officials, after several quieter years during the…

France 24

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An unbroken covenant with God: what the Hajj means for Muslims

Millions of men, women and children have converged on Mecca this week for the Hajj pilgrimage. The Saudi government says it will be the largest crowd ever for the pilgrimage.

The Conversation

UAE astronaut spies Mecca from space station during Hajj (photo)

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi photographed Mecca, one of Islam's holiest cities, from the International Space Station during the annual pilgrimage, or Hajj.

Space

Standing where Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon, 2 million Muslims perform Hajj

This is the largest pilgrimage since 2019, after which the Hajj was dramatically curbed due to coronavirus restrictions that limited the pilgrimage to just a few thousand people.

WEKU

'Hajj is not Mecca': Why prayers at Mount Arafat are the spiritual peak of Islamic pilgrimage

Muslim pilgrims gather on the rocky hill Mount Arafat outside Mecca for a day of prayer on the second day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage

The Independent UK

Eid al-Adha 2023: Exact dates as millions of Muslims celebrate end of Mecca pilgrimage

Millions of Muslims are going to celebrate the religious festival of Eid al-Adha which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and is the second major event in the Islamic calendar

Daily Mirror

Watch live: Muslim pilgrims arrive near Mecca ahead of Day of Arafah

Watch live as Muslim pilgrims begin to arrive in Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the start of Arafah Day on Tuesday, 27 June.

The Independent UK

What is it like living in Mecca? For residents, Islam's holiest sites are simply home

For residents, Islam's most sacred city Mecca is simply home

The Independent UK

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Daily Mirror

Hajj essentials as record-breaking numbers expected in Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage

Around two million people will take part in the five-day experience in Saudi Arabia which brings Muslims closer to God and to the entire Muslim world

Bangkok Post

Huge crowds swarm from Mecca for hajj climax

MINA, Saudi Arabia: Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walked or rode buses Monday to a giant tented city near Mecca for the climax of the annual hajj that Saudi officials say could break attendance records.

The Independent UK

Essentials for the Hajj: From sunhats to shoe bags, a guide to gear Muslims bring to the pilgrimage

The five-day Hajj pilgrimage will see some 2 million Muslims embark on a series of rituals in the desert city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia

The Independent UK

EXPLAINER: What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what does it mean for Muslims?

Over 2 million Muslims will take part in this week’s Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia

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Bangkok Post

Huge crowds circle Kaaba as hajj begins in Saudi heat

MECCA, Saudi Arabia: Vast crowds of robed pilgrims made solemn circles around the Kaaba, the black cube at Mecca's Grand Mosque, on Sunday as the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years began in the heat of the Saudi summer.

Bangkok Post

Millions head to Mecca for huge hajj

MECCA, Saudi Arabia: Enormous crowds of worshippers thronged Islam’s holiest city on Friday for the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years, with more than two million expected to brave the scorching Saudi Arabian heat.

The Independent UK

Watch live as thousands of pilgrims arrive at Mecca’s Grand Mosque ahead of Hajj

Watch live as thousands of pilgrims who arrived in Mecca ahead of the start of Hajj attend Friday prayer at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

The Independent UK

Inflation and economic crises strain pilgrims in this year's Hajj, putting it out of reach for some

Global inflation over the past year has hiked prices for Islam's Hajj pilgrimage dramatically

The Conversation

Technology remains at the heart of the hajj

The hajj – the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which Muslims are expected to make once in their lives if they are able – is expected to begin June 26 and last for five days. In 2023, approximately 2 million pilgrims will participate, close to the annual numbers…

The Independent UK

Ambitious Saudi plans to ramp up Hajj could face challenges from climate change

Saudi Arabia has ambitous plans to welcome millions more pilgrims to Islam’s holiest sites

Al Jazeera

What is Hajj? A step-by-step guide to the Muslim pilgrimage

Here’s how Muslims perform the rituals of Hajj every year, following an ancient example.

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