Pilgrims pray in Mecca during holy month of Ramadan

Crowds of Muslim worshippers filled Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Thursday as pilgrims perform the umrah pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Ramadan, a time of fasting and heightened worship.

Thousands of Muslim worshipers from inside Saudi Arabia and from around the world have made their way to Mecca for the pilgrimage.The umrah can be performed year-round and involves circling the black, cube-shaped Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam, seven times.Saudi Arabia has lifted restrictions on both hajj and umrah pilgrims that had been imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.