Millions of Muslim pilgrims moved to Muzdalifa this evening after spending the afternoon on the plain of Arafat east of Mecca at the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage.
A stream of hundreds of thousands of people moved under the night sky along a special highway served by huge floodlights towards the next stage of the ancient rites in Saudi Arabia.
At Muzdalifa they will collect small pebbles for throwing at a set of walls on three occasions over the next three days in an act that represents defiance of the devil.
At Arafat today, many prayed for forgiveness and the welfare of the world's Muslims but for many others it was enough just to be there - part of a global community born in Arabia 1,400 years ago and united in belief in one transcendent God.
Saudi authorities say more than 1.6 million people have entered Saudi Arabia for the event, the largest religious gathering in the world and a huge logistical and security challenge for the Saudi authorities.
With pilgrims from within the country, both Saudis and foreign workers, the total would be well over 2 million. Some Saudi newspapers said 3 million people were expected.
The pilgrims, dressed in special white robes, jostled for space on the plain where time is preferably spent reading and in prayer. Some slept in tents, picnicked or chatted with friends.
Physical conditions were gruelling, with the crowds, the sun and the heat, the rapidly accumulating rubbish and the long queues for access to some facilities.