After a two-year gap due to the pandemic, overseas visitors are returning to perform Hajj. The annual Muslim pilgrimage ranks as one of the world’s biggest religious gatherings ⤵️ | Al Jazeera English

Night View of the Mataf at 1:25 AM on 12 Safar 1432 (17 January 2011) This night shot from 12 Safar 1432 (17 January 2011) shows the Mataf area with significantly fewer worshippers than what is seen today at the same time and month. Back then, Umrah was not open year-round to all countries. The Umrah season typically began in the third or fourth month after Hajj, and only a restricted number of visas were issued, resulting in fewer pilgrims at the holy site. | Islamic Information

Follow us on Instagram for more: https://www.instagram.com/haramainarchive/ Hajj crowds in 1432 (2011). This was the second highest number of Hajj pilgrims on record with just over 2.9 million performing the pilgrimage that year. | Haramain Archive