Saudi Arabia: 2 million in Mecca for start of hajj
An estimated 2 million Muslims are streaming into a sprawling tent city near Mecca for the start of the annual Islamic hajj pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia says there are 1.4 million visitors to the kingdom for the hajj.
The pilgrims are heading on Thursday to Mina, about five kilometers (three miles) from Mecca, where they will spend the night in prayer and supplication.
The hajj, a central pillar of Islam, lasts about five days.
