Nearly two million Muslim pilgrims began the soul-searching journey of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The pilgrims circled the Kaaba in the heart of the holy city of Mecca and began moving to Mina, a vast tent city on the way to Mecca, marking the first step of the Hajj rituals.

Saudi Arabia stopped more than 269,000 people without permits for the annual Hajj pilgrimage from entering Mecca, officials said Sunday, as authorities crack down on illegal journeys into the city. The government blames overcrowding at the Hajj on unauthorized participants.