Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca September 22, 2015. (Reuters Photo)
Mecca: Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world on Tuesday began moving from the holy city of Mecca to nearby Mina for the start of the hajj, the world's largest annual gathering.
Almost two million people are expected to take part in this year's pilgrimage, undeterred by a crane collapse in Mecca earlier this month that killed 109 people and injured nearly 400 at Islam's holiest site.
"It is a gift from God that He has chosen us to come here," said Walaa Ali, a 35-year-old Egyptian pilgrim with tears in her eyes. "I am so happy to be here."
Nearby, both men and women sat side by side listening to preachers explain the history and rituals of hajj.
This year's hajj begins against a backdrop of increased jihadi violence, a surge of the deadly MERS virus and with Saudi Arabia at war in Yemen.