In Mecca's sweltering heat, Muslims start this year's Hajj pilgrimage

Pilgrims leave after offering prayers outside at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, June 14, 2024. A woman holds an umbrella to protect herself from the sun as she leaves after offering prayers outside at the Grand Mosque, during during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, June 13, 2024.

In sweltering temperatures, Muslim pilgrims in Mecca converged on a vast tent camp in the desert Friday, officially opening the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Ahead of their trip, they circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site.