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Eid al-Adha around the world: In pictures

People around the world are observing Eid al-Adha, one of the most important Islamic festivals in the Muslim calendar.

Meaning the "feast of the sacrifice", Eid al-Adha commemorates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's orders and is marked by special prayers and feasts. This year, it begins on 28 June.

The festival coincides with the end of the Hajj - the annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca.

Below is a selection of images showing people marking the festival around the world.

News imageThaier Al-Sudani/Reuters Sunni Muslim worshippers pray on the first day of the Eid al-Adha festival, at the shrine of cleric Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Gilani in Baghdad, IraqThaier Al-Sudani/Reuters
Worshippers pray at the shrine of cleric Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Gilani in Baghdad, Iraq
News imageJam Sta Rosa/AFP Muslims take part in a morning prayer celebrating the feast of Eid al-Adha at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, PhilippinesJam Sta Rosa/AFP
Families take part in a morning prayer at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Philippines
News imageAamir Qureshi/AFP A trader paints a design on a sacrificial camel with henna to attract customers at a livestock market ahead of the upcoming Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, on the outskirts of Islamabad, PakistanAamir Qureshi/AFP
A trader paints a design on a sacrificial camel to attract customers, at a livestock market ahead of the festival on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan
News imageIzzeddin Kasim/Getty Images An aerial view shows Syrians displaced from their homes and have been living in tents due to the civil war performing Eid al-Adha prayers at a stadium in Idlib, SyriaIzzeddin Kasim/Getty Images
Displaced people who have been living in tents due to the Syrian civil war perform prayers at a stadium in Idlib, Syria
News imageEmilie Madi/Reuters Muslims stay gathered after their first prayer on the first day of Eid al-Adha in front of Al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut, LebanonEmilie Madi/Reuters
People stay gathered after their first prayer in front of Al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut, Lebanon
News imageFiras Abdullah/Getty Images Muslims perform the Eid al-Adha prayer at the Grand Mosque of Paris, FranceFiras Abdullah/Getty Images
People observe the festival at the Grand Mosque of Paris, France
News imageRobin Utrecht/AFP People pray as they attend an early morning prayer on Eid al-Adha, at the Mevlana Mosque in Rotterdam, NetherlandsRobin Utrecht/AFP
People pray as they attend an early morning prayer at the Mevlana Mosque in Rotterdam, Netherlands
News imageIhsaan Haffejee/Getty Images Muslims perform the Eid al-Adha prayer at a public park in Johannesburg, South AfricaIhsaan Haffejee/Getty Images
People pray in a public park in Johannesburg, South Africa
News imageSefa Karacan/Getty Images Muslims who could not find empty places in mosques in Russia's capital Moscow gather to pray on the streetsSefa Karacan/Getty Images
Those who could not find empty places in mosques gather to pray on the streets of Moscow, Russia
News imageCarlos Lujan/Getty Images Dozens of Muslims pray to celebrate Eid al-Adha in the park of El Casino de Embajadores in Madrid, SpainCarlos Lujan/Getty Images
Dozens pray in the park of El Casino de Embajadores in Madrid, Spain
News imageKarim Sahib/AFP People exchange wishes after Eid al-Adha morning prayers at Dubai's main mosque in the United Arab EmiratesKarim Sahib/AFP
People exchange wishes after morning prayers at Dubai's main mosque in the United Arab Emirates
News imageAhmad Gharabli/AFP Muslim worshippers gather at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem to perform Eid al-Adha morning prayersAhmad Gharabli/AFP
Worshippers gather at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem
News imageAFP Muslim worshippers perform the Eid al-Adha morning prayer in Sudan's eastern Gedaref regionAFP
Worshippers perform morning prayer in Sudan's eastern Gedaref region
News imageShrooq El-Sayed/Shutterstock Egyptian Muslims take part in a morning prayer celebrating the feast of Eid al-Adha in EgyptShrooq El-Sayed/Shutterstock
Worshippers take part in a morning prayer in Cairo, Egypt

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