News desk :Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims on Tuesday started their mass religious journey from the holy city of Mecca towards nearby Mina in western Saudi Arabia, at the part of the annual hajj rituals. Authorities say close to 1.4 million believers have come from abroad to follow the 1,400-year-old tradition of Prophet Mohammed, alongside pilgrims from Saudi Arabia. “It is a beautiful feeling,” said Aziza Yousfy, 60, from Algeria, before leaving Mecca. Seeing nearby Mina Valley and Mount Arafat “has always been a dream for me”, she said. Mount Arafat is where Prophet Mohammed gave his final sermon, after leading his followers on the hajj. Iqbalur Rahim, 45, Bangladeshi pilgrim walking with others, voiced hope that “God will accept our prayers for forgiveness and mercy”. The passage to Mina marks the official start of the hajj on the eighth day of the Muslim calendar month of Zil-Hajj. In Mina, they will pray and rest before moving on to Mount Arafat for the climax of the pilgrimage rituals on Friday.
