MECCA, (Xinhua) -- Pilgrims circumambulate the sacred site Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on July 29, 2020. Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday embarked on the first day of their Hajj rituals in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, according to a statement by Saudi ministry of media.
[caption id="attachment_50668" align="alignnone" width="721"] (200729) -- MECCA, July 29, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Pilgrims pray in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on July 29, 2020. Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday embarked on the first day of their Hajj rituals in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, according to a statement by Saudi ministry of media.[/caption]The pilgrims started the major Islamic pilgrimage after finishing four days of hotel isolation in Mecca and prior to that a week-long quarantine at home, as part of the preventative measures to guard against COVID-19. (Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Media/Handout via Xinhua)