Muslim pilgrims in Mecca perform Tawaf ritual ahead of hajj

Muslim pilgrims in Mecca perform Tawaf ritual ahead of hajj

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims perform Tawaf, the ritual of circling the Kaaba at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, ahead of this year's hajj pilgrimage.

Over a million people are expected to join the pilgrimage, despite the intense summer heat, which has proven deadly in the past.