Hassan Ammar/AP Photo

Muslim pilgrims cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called “Jamarat,” the last rite of the annual hajj, in Mina near the Saudi holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 6, 2011, according to the Associated Press. The annual Islamic pilgrimage draws 2.5 million visitors each year, making it the largest yearly gathering of people in the world.

Here are other photos of Muslim pilgrims traveling to Mecca.