Muslim pilgrims gathered to pray and supplicate near the rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Tens of thousands of vaccinated Muslim pilgrims circled Islam's holiest site in Mecca on Sunday, but remained socially distanced and wore masks as the coronavirus takes its toll on the Hajj for a second year running.

What once drew some 2.5 million Muslims from all walks of life from across the globe, the Hajj pilgrimage is now almost unrecognizable in scale.

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