2.5 million pilgrims in Mecca

Approximately 2.5 million Muslims are beginning to carry out the first ritual of the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the biggest celebration in the year of the Muslims.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia had to mobilize 100,000 security personnel and defense to ensure the safety of the pilgrimage which is considered the most tragic to date by the number of people crowded the cumulative about a location in short time.


2.5 million pilgrims in Mecca.

Minister of Interior Saudi Arabia, Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, who became Prince of the Kingdom of wealth, said: "We will mobilize all resources to prevent damage to pilgrims or groups of pilgrims. " Declaration on the new Prince of Saudi Arabia launched while to inspect the preparations for the pilgrimage as well as the deployment of riot, terrorism.
The main event will start from today and culminates tomorrow when the pilgrims gathered in the area Arafat, outside Mecca. Then, the first pilgrimage ends with Eid Al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice is celebrated on Sunday.
As expected, there are 1.7 million Muslims living near Mecca, 800,000 pilgrims from all over Saudi Arabia with 700,000 Muslims from around the world flock to Mecca this year's holiday . This causes numerous problems for the authorities in securing the festival.
Although the oil tycoon has invested billions of dollars to ensure safety for the festival but still the Mecca pilgrimage festivals of the bloodiest in history. In January 2006, 364 pilgrims die in stampede at the entrance to the bridge leading to the stoning area Mina, outside Mecca. Meanwhile, 251 people died in this pilgrimage in 2004.
However, 1,426 people died in the stampede and suffocation in a tunnel in Mina also tháng 7 / 1990 is really terrible nightmare for both the pilgrims and the Saudi government Arabia.
In recent years, the narrow bridge demolished and replaced by a multi-storey one-way bridge leading to the shrine has helped mitigate the tragic stampede. The authorities also plan to spend 10.6 billion expansion of Mecca in worship area to serve two million people together in worship.
Pilgrimage festival takes place this year amid anti-government protests erupted in many places accompanied by unrest and bloodshed in countries like Libya and Syria.
Here are pictures of the 2.5 million people gathered in Mecca pilgrimage in the year's biggest Muslim.

Mecca pilgrims packed.

Millions of pilgrims lined up to celebrate.

It seems that nowhere is the gap.

Young children, elderly pilgrims were slaves tingle.

The police have every effort to ensure security for the festival.