Stunning Photos Of 2 Million Muslims Making The Annual Pilgrimage To Mecca

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Mecca, Saudi Arabia

REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca .

This past week in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Muslims from all over the world came together to perform rituals, give thanks and prayer, and celebrate as part of one of the most important Muslim traditions of the year. Over the course of four days, followers completed various stages of ceremony at a number of different locations in and around the city.

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The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, also known as Hajj, occurs every year on the 8th to 12th days of the last month of the Islamic calendar. Over 2 million people came this year and, while some feared for potential Ebola outbreaks within a group of that size, an epidemic did not occur.

Hajj is thought by many to be the largest annual collection of people in one place. The crowds are massive in size and the magnitude is truly stunning.