Muslims gather at Mecca, for Ramadan.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/2cdqkb2

These scenes are awesome, can one imagine the organisation that must go into this event?

How do they cope for toilet facilities, transportation, catering etc, etc, and who tidies up afterwards?

[McMouse]

SAC must find it tempting!

[trt]

They probably have 1,000s of holes in the ground for toilets and I suppose there is 100s of McDonald's scattered around.
There is usually a stampede every year so the litter will be taken away by the ambulances with the injured and dead.

[Sqad]

steve...;-)

[Ankou]

the government has a hajj ministry which deals with the event and the place.
because cleanliness is a requirement of hajj, they generally keep the place clean and tidy themselves. if not, then there is always a special ministerial force in place to keep order. tansportation is usually well managed, catering for around thousands of busses/coaches dropping people off from the airport. the toilets are a mixture of western and squat, but as with places like glastonbury and the like, i doubt they could ever cater for the numbers.

[Thomas]

Catering isn't a problem, as they're all fasting, not feasting.

[trt]

But they need food and drink before sunrise and after sunset Thomas!

[Thomas]

I don't, 24 hours is no problem for me.

[berniecuddles]

gathering at mecca sounds more like an all night bingo sessions in order there!!!!

[Answerprancer]

Wow ..what a gig!

[trt]

I wonder what time the pole dancers come on?

[berniecuddles]

eyes down look in, all the 8s two fat..........?? mohammeds lol

[SeaJayPea]

My word, the Daily Mail writing an article about Islam and getting it wrong. Can't have happened before, surely.

The Hajj is nothing to do with Ramadan, people who travel there are not fasting. The Wikipedia page on the Hajj doesn't even have the word Ramadan in it.

Further down the page there is a picture of somebody's hands clutching some prayer beads and the caption reads that it's a Rosary. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but a Rosary is a Catholic thing, surely.

It's a phenomenal event, on a par with the Hindu Kumbh Mela, but that's not an annual event. The organisation of it is a year-round job for an entire government ministry.

As Steve says, imagine 5 million Brits together for a religious festival.... No, on second thoughts, I can't see that happening either.

[anneasquith]

stunning pictures thanks. pity about some of the replies though.

[trt]

What kind of replies did you expect anneasquith?

[anneasquith]

these scenes are awesome,, sounded quite possitive to me.

[Ankou]

seajaypea, it was me who mentioned the hajj, on account of there being a special ministry called the hajj ministry, who looks after the pilgrim place. of course muslims go to mecca at ramadan. they go anytime they want and can afford to, not just the major festivals (providing they have a special visa of course).

also, prayer beads are not just for catholics.

[sp1814]

It's a little sad that one person responded to the report with the word "beautiful", and got 147 red arrows!!!

The first picture really IS quite beautiful.

[society]

I think it's a beautiful sight.

[anotheoldgit]

Seajaypea

/// Now correct me if I'm wrong, but a Rosary is a Catholic thing, surely.///

Sorry you are wrong.

/// The practice of using a rosary or "counting beads" occurs widely in world religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.///

You are also wrong regarding the The Hajj also, a Hajji is just a name for a five day ritual, in this case Ramadan