MOUNT ARAFAT, Mecca — Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage, as a punishing desert sun sent temperatures soaring towards 40C.

 

From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited Quranic verses on the 70-metre rocky hill near Mecca, where the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, delivered his last sermon.

 

Volunteers handed out bottles of water, parasols and food packages to the tens of thousands of pilgrims as they made their way toward Mount Arafat.

 

"It is an indescribable feeling," said Ahmoud Abou Elezz, a 35-year-old Egyptian engineer, as he approached Mount Arafat for the first time.

 

More than 1.5 million people have joined the Hajj this year despite the shadow of war across the Middle East from the US and Israeli war with Iran.

 

The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means to do so.

 

With temperatures hitting 44 degrees in Mecca in recent days, Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun during the mostly outdoor rituals, which can take five days or more to complete.

 

Since men are prohibited from wearing hats, many carry umbrellas to try to keep the blistering sun at bay.

 

After Mount Arafat, pilgrims will spend the night in Muzdalifah, where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic "stoning of the devil" ritual in Mina, starting on Wednesday.

 

The Hajj is said to follow the path of the Prophet Mohammed's final pilgrimage, about 1,400 years ago.