Pilgrims visit Mount Arafat on crucial day of Hajj

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims moved through the Saudi Arabian valley of Mina to Mount Arafat at dawn on Tuesday for a crucial day of the Hajj - to engage in supplication and seeking forgiveness, as well as listening to sermons.

The intense day of worship considered to be the climax of the annual Hajj takes place at the site where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon, calling for equality and unity among Muslims.

Muslims believe prayer on this day at Mount Arafat, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the holy city of Mecca, is their best chance at salvation and spiritual renewal.

The Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims physically and financially able to make the journey, which takes the faithful along a path traversed by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago.