Pilgrims visiting Islam's holy city for the annual hajj have prayed for the 157,000 people killed in last month's tsunami that devastated southern Asia, asking God to give survivors the courage to cope.
The tragedy weighed heavy as the spiritual journey geared up. Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim nation with 220 million people - was hit hardest by the natural disaster, but 200,000 Indonesians, the country's quota, still were expected in Mecca.
One Indonesian man spoke of his surprise over the dozens of strangers who noticed his nationality printed on the pouch around his neck and approached to offer condolences for the more than 100,000 Indonesians who died Dec. 26. Another Indonesian found a quiet spot to pray for a lost friend.
Mohamed Saleh, a teacher from Jakarta stood outside the city's Grand Mosque and prayed, his hands raised and his eyes filled with tears.
"I have lost a friend in the tsunami, and I pray for him and the souls of all those that have perished," said Saleh, 50. "I pray that God will mend broken hearts and give them courage to overcome the grief."
Inside the mosque, pilgrims circled the kaaba, a cubic stone structure toward which Muslims turn for prayers five times a day. Pilgrims circle the kaaba to start and finish hajj rituals, which can be stretched over days but peak with prayers on Mount Arafat, where Islam's founding Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.
Two million Muslims perform the pilgrimage each year, a once-in-a-lifetime duty of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it. Many go repeatedly; it is believed to cleanse the soul and wipe away sin.
AP