The Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia was operating at full capacity on Sunday, and worshippers prayed shoulder to shoulder for the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

The marking on the floor, which indicates to people the social distance inside and around the Grand Mosque built around the Kaaba, has been removed.

In photos and footage taken on Sunday morning, people prayed side by side, forming even rows of believers, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.

Although social distancing measures have been сanceled, authorities have said that visitors should be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and should continue to wear masks.

Saudi Arabia announced in August that it would begin accepting vaccinated foreigners wishing to make the Umrah pilgrimage. Umrah can be performed at any time and usually attracts millions of people from all over the world, as well as the annual Hajj, which Muslims with the means must perform at least once in their lives.

In July, only about 60,000 vaccinated residents were allowed to participate in a significantly reduced form of the annual Hajj. The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously undermined both Muslim pilgrimages, which are usually key sources of income for the kingdom. The pilgrimage of people from all over the world brings a total of $ 12 billion to the treasury of the state.

It is worth noting that the once reclusive kingdom began issuing tourist visas, allowing foreign visitors to make not only pilgrimages for the first time in 2019, but also ordinary tourist trips to get acquainted with local attractions.