The annual haj pilgrimage began in Mecca yesterday when hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims put on white clothes, packed their bags and left for a tented encampment on the edge of the holy city.

In central Mecca, some latecomers performed the ritual walk seven times around the Kaaba, the ancient cubic shrine which all Muslims face when they perform their daily prayers.

More than 1.6 million pilgrims have come to Saudi Arabia from abroad for the haj, the largest regular religious gathering in the world and an obligation which all Muslims should perform at least once if they can afford it.