Pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia -- Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims clambered up rocks and nestled between boulders on Thursday as they embarked on a day of worship under a scorching sun during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Braving the heat and uneven surfaces, they scaled Mount Arafat to perform a key ritual of the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

They opened their arms in prayer as outsized fans sprayed fine mists of water to cool them during their long hours of worship. Pilgrims must remain in Arafat until sunset. Temperatures exceeded 104 degrees.

Away from the worship, an ice cream kiosk nearby provided some relief.

Salem Naji Ahmed, from Yemen, traveled four days overland to neighboring Saudi Arabia because he couldn't afford the flight.

"These sacred fe

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