In pictures: Muslim pilgrimage or Hajj

More than two million Muslims from around the globe have gathered around Mount Arafat near Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the high point of their annual pilgrimage.

The day-long station at Arafat symbolises Muslims' wait for the day of judgement. They spend the day praying.

Male pilgrims wear a simple uniform of seamless, two-piece, white garments called the Ihram, which also signify their state of purity.

The pilgrims make a sea of white as they stream in their thousands onto the plain of Arafat.

For many, the pilgrimage is the fulfilment of a life-long ambition. All Muslims capable of making the journey are duty-bound to do so.

One of the VIPs invited by the Saudi government this year is the controversial Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on his first pilgrimage.

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