Hajj 2021 live pictures from Mecca as pilgrims dey dia for di holy pilgrimage with masks and social distance

One Muslim pilgrim dey prays for di Grand Mosque for di holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

18 July 2021

Pilgrims begin arrive for Mecca on Saturday for di second Hajj to take place since di start of di coronavirus pandemic.

Pilgrims wey travel to di Islam holiest site dey expected to socially distance and wear face masks.

Di event dey larger dan in 2020, but e still dey far smaller dan past years.

Na only 60,000 fully vaccinated residents dem allow to take part - wit participants selected from one online pool of more dan 550,00 applicants.

Pilgrims suppose to don receive both doses of Covid-19 vaccine and dey between di age of 18 and 65 without serious illness to dey eligible.

See photos of some of di pipo wey dey take part as dem dey wait for official transportation to take dem to Mecca Grand Mosque on Saturday.

Muslims arrive for Al-Zaidi station dey wait to go di Grand Mosque, ahead of di annual Haj pilgrimage, for di holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Muslims arrive to be taken to di Grand Mosque, ahead of di annual Haj pilgrimage, for di holy city of Mecca

Di Pilgrims travel to Mecca Grand Mosque to perform tawaf, one ritual wia dem circle counter-clockwise around di Kaaba - one large cube-like structure wey dem see for Islam as di most sacred point on Earth - seven times.

Worshippers go later continue on a five-day pilgrimage for other nearby holy sites.

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Di Hajj na usually one of di world largest religious gatherings - with about 2.5 million pipo wey take part in 2019.

Pilgrims hold umrellas to protect themselves from di heat, arrive at di Kaaba, Islam holiest shrine, for di Grand mosque for di holy city of Meccca

Muslim pilgrims perform Tawaf around Kaaba for di Grand Mosque in di holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Di pilgrimage na one of di Five Pillars of Islam - na obligation for every Muslim to go at least once in dia lives, if dem fit do am.

Di Hajj ministry tok dis say dem carry out dis year event wit di highest levels of health precautions sake of di pandemic.

"Every three hours, 6,000 pipo go enta to perform di tawaf of arrival," spokesman Hisham al-Saeed tell AFP news agency. "Afta each group comot, dem go fumigate di sanctuary."

Muslim pilgrims perform Tawaf around Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca,

Pilgrims arrive for di Kaaba, Islam holiest shrine,for di Grand mosque in the holy city of Meccca

Officials also say dem divide pilgrims into group of 20 pipo as dem set out pathways to allow for social distancing.

Tori be say na about 10,000 pipo for Saudi take part for July 2020, wit no major outbreaks reported.

Saudi Arabia don record more dan 500,000 coronavirus infections and 8,000 deaths during di pandemic.

More dan 21.5 million vaccine doses na im dem don give so far, however only about 10% of di population dey fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data.