Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat for the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, praying under soaring temperatures near Mecca.

Pilgrims flock to Saudi Arabia for Hajj as war rages in the Middle East, with worshippers citing faith, safety measures and a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual duty.

More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the…