The annual haj pilgrimage began on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
At the holy city of Mecca, pilgrims will follow a route taken by the Prophet Muhammad 14 centuries ago.
Over two million Muslim pilgrims arrived this week in Mecca, to go to Mount Arafat, about 15km east of Mecca by Sunday morning.
The Eid al-Adha, or feast of the sacrifice, begins on Monday, when pilgrims begin three days of casting stones at walls in a symbolic renunciation of the devil.
A vast security operation is in place to avert any attacks, fatal stampedes or political activities that could embarrass Saudi Arabia.
More renovations have been made over the past year to ease the flow of pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque and the Jamarat Bridge, where 362 people were crushed to death in January 2006. It was the worst haj tragedy since 1990.
