In the searing heat, this was the scene at the Grand Mosque in Mecca today as millions of pilgrims arrived for the annual hajj – a religious journey that is viewed as one of the Muslim faith’s greatest acts of worship.

The mosque, the focal point of Islam, was teeming with visitors wearing the simple white folds of cloth prescribed for hajj.

Almost two million people have so far arrived at the site in Saudi Arabia for the rites, which reach a peak on Monday – and another million are expected.

And with temperatures hitting 36c (97f), many congregated in the cooler shadow of the building’s minarets.

Haj must be performed at least once in their lifetime by all Muslims capable of making the expensive, difficult journey – a duty that applies equally to Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims at a time of tension between Islam’s main sects.

Saudi Arabian authorities have asked pilgrims to put politics aside during the annual hajj, but amid bitter divisions in Egypt, some Islamists refuse to keep quiet.

Keenly aware of the potential for political tensions to flare into violence at a time of upheaval across the Middle East, the Saudi Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef asked pilgrims to leave disputes at home.

Most Egyptians making their way into the holy city said their most fervent prayers were for peace.