More than two million Muslims started gathering Saturday on Mount Arafat East Mecca, marking the peak day of the annual pilgrimage.

More than two million Muslims started gathering Saturday on Mount Arafat East Mecca, marking the peak day of the annual pilgrimage.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims all dressed up in white garments started rallying since early morning to Mount Arafat, chanting “Here I am, O Lord, here I am! Here I am, there is none that is a partner to You, here I am! Surely, all praise; all bounty is Yours, and all power. There is none that is a partner to You.”

Mount Arafat, also known as Mount of Mercy, is the place of which prophet Mohammad delivered his farewell speech before the Muslims who had accompanied him for the pilgrimage shortly before his departure.

According to the Saudi Ministry of Interior, the number of pilgrims this year reached 1.828.195 million from 183 countries.

According to AFP, many pilgrims went on buses, while others marched from Mina, a tent-village that comes to life only during the five-day pilgrimage.

Others took the “Mecca Metro", which is a Chinese-built railway operating for the first time this year at its full capacity of 72,000 people per hour to ease congestion.