Muzdalifah

A crush at Arafat

The day of Arafat is one of the most important dates of the Muslim calendar, and a crucial part of Hajj. For us, the day began at 12:13am.

We set out from Mina just after midnight, hoping to avoid traffic congestion - most pilgrims only head for Arafat after dawn prayers. All the same, it took us three hours to travel 15km by bus, and many pilgrims had already arrived.

Where heavy rains had drenched so many pilgrims at Mina and led to the deaths of around 50 people in Jeddah, the weather in Arafat was sweltering by midday.

Lines of buses crowded the streets, whilst throngs of people flooded in between the cracks.

In an effort to ease the difficulties many pilgrims face, Saudi authorities have installed drinking fountains offering sterilised water, and sprinklers releasing mist into the air around the area of Mount Arafat.