Muslims around the world as well as those performing the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia celebrate on Tuesday the Feast of Sacrifice or Eid al-Adha, the most important holiday in the Islamic calendar.
Abour 2,5-million Muslims performing the five-day Haj pilgrimage, held in and around the Saudi holy city of Mecca, spent the night in tents in the locality of Muzdalifa where they collected pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina.
On Tuesday the pilgrims headed to Mecca at the start of the Eid al-Adha which marks the culmination of the Haj.
The festival is celebrated with the ritual slaughter of animals to commemorate Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son to God.
The sheep market in the south of Riyadh was packed with hundreds of pick-ups carrying different varieties of sheep.
Although the prices remained more or less at the same level as last year, Abdullah al-Otaibi, a sheep-owner from Thumair, 250km from Riyadh, said that there had been a slight price fall in what was essentially a buyer’s market.
The sheep prices were from $135 to $324, depending on the size and variety of the animal.
Bangladeshis and Pakistanis standing outside the municipal slaughterhouse near the sheep market were offering their services for slaughtering, skinning and bagging the animal for a fee of $27.
The outset of the five-day Haj ritual started on Sunday in Mina where the Saudi government set up 50 000 fireproof tents to host the pilgrims who spent the day and night in prayer and meditation.
The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is obligatory for those whose health and financial situation permit them to perform it. – Sapa-DPA