Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat for Haj – in pictures

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims pray outside Namira Mosque in Arafat, on the second and most significant day of the annual Haj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

Muslim pilgrims sign their names on a white pillar, where Islam’s Prophet Mohammad is believed to have delivered his last sermon to tens of thousands of followers, on a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

A Sudanese Muslim pilgrim makes his way up a rocky hill known as Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

From a distance, the hill appeared a snowy white, as male pilgrims wear a seamless two-piece white garment, ihram. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

Pilgrims come from every corner of the globe, but Indonesia - the most populous Muslim nation - has the largest quota. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

Muslim pilgrims pray on the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

Official figures issued late on Saturday said the total number of pilgrims exceeds 1.8 million, with more than 1.3 million arrived from outside the kingdom. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

An Indonesian father carries his daughter through the crowd after reaching the top of the Mountain of Mercy. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

A Muslim pilgrim rests on the Mountain of Mercy. Nariman El-Mofty / AP Photo

The annual Haj pilgrimage reached its climax on Sunday when Muslims from across the world converged on a stoney hill in western Saudi Arabia to pray and recite from the Quran.