Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand mosque during the annual haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, October 22, 2012.
Muslim pilgrims are gathering in the Saudi city of Mecca for Islam's annual pilgrimage, which begins Wednesday.
Able Muslims are required to perform the arduous and expensive pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj, at least once in their lifetime.
Saudi authorities are warning they will stop any disruptive protests over the conflict in Syria.
Saudi Arabia has backed rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Iran remains an ally of Syria at a time when relations between Riyadh and Tehran are tense.
Authorities say they are prepared for possible violence during the pilgrimage, which has happened in the past. The most notable case came in 1979, when attackers seized the Grand Mosque. Hundreds of people were killed during a two-week siege.
Muslims Take Part in the Hajj
1/14Muslim pilgrims cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called "Jamarat," a rite of the annual Hajj, the Islamic faith's most holy pilgrimage, in Mina near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Oct. 26, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
2/14Youssef, 3, a Muslim pilgrim from Egypt walks with his grandfather to casts stones at a pillar near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 26, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
3/14A Muslim pilgrim has his head ritually shaved after he cast stones at a pillar in Mina near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, October 26, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
4/14Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of October 25, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
5/14Muslim pilgrims pray near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 25, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
6/14Crowds bow in prayer outside the mosque of the Plain of Arafat near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 25, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
7/14Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba to pray inside the Grand mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 23, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
8/14A man carries a sheep through a livestock market in Sanaa, October 24, 2012. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the Hajj by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
9/14A boy dances with a sheep at a livestock market ahead of Eid al-Adha festival in Sanaa, October 24, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
10/14Muslim pilgrims pray outside the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 23, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
11/14Muslim pilgrims pray outside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 23, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
12/14A Muslim pilgrim shops in a gold market in Mecca, October 23, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
13/14Muslim pilgrims leave the Grand mosque after the noon prayer in Mecca, October 22, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
14/14Muslim pilgrims pray outside the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 22, 2012.
Millions of Muslims are taking part in the final phase of their Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims who came to Mecca earlier this week are now taking part in the ritual stoning of the devil.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.
