Thousands of Muslim pilgrims performed Tawaf by circling the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Sunday [1].
This gathering marks the final preparations for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the most significant religious events in the Islamic calendar. The ritual of Tawaf serves as a spiritual transition for believers before the primary ceremonies begin.
Reports indicate that around 1.6 million Muslims have gathered in Mecca ahead of the start of the pilgrimage [2]. This includes more than 1.5 million pilgrims who arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the country [3]. The scale of the crowd varies by report, with some sources noting thousands of pilgrims performing the specific Tawaf ritual [1], while others emphasize the total number of people currently in the city [2].
The Grand Mosque, also known as Masjid al-Harām, serves as the focal point for these activities. Pilgrims circle the Kaaba as part of the pre-Hajj rituals to prepare for the formal start of the event. These preparations are essential for managing the flow of millions of people through the holy sites.
The main Hajj rituals are scheduled to begin on Monday, May 25, 2026 [4]. Local authorities and organizers coordinate the movement of the crowds to ensure safety and order during the peak of the pilgrimage. The arrival of international pilgrims underscores the global nature of the event, bringing together believers from diverse nations into a single location.
As the date of May 25 approaches, the intensity of the activity at the Grand Mosque is expected to increase. The transition from pre-Hajj rituals to the main events involves a coordinated shift of the population from Mecca to other designated sites.
“Around 1.6 million Muslims have gathered in Mecca ahead of the start of Hajj”
The massive influx of over 1.5 million international pilgrims highlights the continued logistical and spiritual significance of the Hajj. The transition from pre-Hajj rituals like Tawaf to the main ceremonies on May 25 requires precise coordination by Saudi authorities to manage extreme population density within the Grand Mosque and surrounding areas.
