Once pilgrims are prepared, mentally and physically, for the hajj, they may enter Mecca and head to the Sacred Mosque. Their destination is the Kabah, the holiest site in Islam, located in the mosque. The pilgrims’ first act is the circling of the Kabah on foot seven times, known as the tawaf.
If it is possible to get close enough, they also are expected to kiss the Black Stone of the Kabah. This step of the pilgrimage is the most iconic, and the one that most people think of when they think of the Hajj – masses of people moving in a continuous circle around the tall, black Kabah.
Before ending the first day of the hajj, pilgrims travel between two nearby hills seven times, symbolizing Ishmael’s mother’s search for water in the desert.
