Hajj

PHOTOS: Muslim Hajj Pilgrimage Reaches Its Pinnacle

4:01pm September 11, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

More than a million Muslims have embarked on the yearly hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, after last year's holy event was marred by a deadly stampede that killed hundreds and stoked regional tensions.

World News

Death Toll In Hajj Stampede Rises To 769

7:05am September 28, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Saudi Arabia announced the new figure, up from 717 on Friday. Meanwhile, Iran has said the tragedy is "not incompetence ... [but] a crime" due to lax security during the pilgrimage.

Muslim pilgrims and rescuers gather around people who were crushed by overcrowding in Mina, Saudi Arabia, during the annual hajj pilgrimage on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia Faces Criticism Over Hajj Stampede That Killed 700

8:44am September 25, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Iran accuses Riyadh of "incompetence" for the Saudi government's handling of security during the pilgrimage.

Saudi police and national guard are deployed to the area of a stampede in the Mina valley near the Saudi holy city of Mecca on Thursday. Officials say hundreds of people were killed.

World News

Stampede At Hajj Pilgrimage Near Mecca Kills Hundreds

9:55am September 24, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The stampede is being called the worst in 25 years. It occurred on a street in Mina, a large valley where thousands of pilgrims camp overnight.

An aerial view of the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca in October 2014.

World News

Mecca Becomes A Mecca For Skyscraper Hotels

2:13pm June 02, 2015

by Leila Fadel

Mecca is the destination for Muslim pilgrims. To house the millions of worshippers, massive hotels are rising at a furious pace, upsetting those seeking to protect the city's traditional architecture.

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