MAKKAH – Coming to life just for less than a week, as it’s the case every year, the city of Mina is ready to welcome over 2 million pilgrims – of whom about 1.8 million have come from across the world, a Saudi Gazette report says.
From early hours on Sunday, the pilgrims will start moving to Mina, which is about five km east of the holy city of Makkah.
The ritual, marking the first day of Hajj, is called Youm Al Tarwiya (Day of Watering). Some of them will be in Mina from Saturday night.
Everything has been put in place by the government and private institutions concerned with the Hajj services. All arrangements have been made to receive the pilgrims and provide them with the best services to facilitate them in performing the rituals.
Last year, the Supreme Authority for the Development of Makkah (SADM) announced that about 22 development projects in the holy sites of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah were completed for the guests of God for this year’s Hajj season.
On Monday morning, the pilgrims will descend the Mount `Arafat where Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered his last sermon more than 14 centuries ago.
The pilgrims then will return to Mina after spending the night in Muzdalifah.
They will take part in the symbolic stoning of the devil at Jamrat Al-Aqaba and sacrifice animals to mark the four-day `Eid Al-Adha, which starts Tuesday.