A blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5 has seen sea and air links shut down, preventing many Qataris from making hajj, although Riyadh relaxed entry restrictions across China Wholesale Tents Suppliers its land border with the emirate two weeks before the pilgrimage.Pilgrims then head for Mina, five kilometres (three miles) further east, where hundreds of thousands of people will gather before setting off on Thursday at dawn to climb Mount Arafat, the pinnacle of the pilgrimage.There, they perform a ritual walk seven times around the Kaaba, a black masonry cube wrapped in a heavy silk cloth embroidered with Koranic verses in golden embroidery.Riyadh and Tehran cut ties months later, after the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia sparked attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.A few paces from the Kaaba, Egyptian pilgrim Fatiya Taha could not hide her joy.

Tidjani Traore, a public service consultant from Benin, said he was preparing for his 22nd pilgrimage at the age of 53.The pilgrimage also comes amid a diplomatic crisis between a Saudi-led bloc of Arab countries and Qatar, accused of supporting extremist groups and being too close to Riyadhs arch-rival Tehran."Every time, there are new emotions," he said.As the hour for prayer arrived, a young woman sat at a table in an ice cream shop and prayed, her hands crossed on her knees.At 67 the oldest in her group, she sat in her wheelchair in Islams most holy spot.Several times throughout the day, well-run teams of employees, mostly Asian, cleaned the esplanade with jets of water.Mecca: More than two million Muslims from around the world will start the hajj pilgrimage at Islams holiest sites Wednesday, a religious duty and an epic multi-stage journey.

Saudi authorities have mobilised vast resources in hope of avoiding a repeat of a deadly 2015 stampede that left nearly 2,300 people dead, including 464 Iranians.WHAT CAUSES CTE?Repeated knocks to the head are the most likely cause of CTE. Abnormal tau deposits in different shapes, patterns and locations have been implicated in other brain diseases, including Alzheimers Parkinsons disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. Scientists believe genes probably play a role and may explain why some people with repeated head blows never develop the disease.HOW DO HEAD BLOWS AFFECT THE BRAIN?Though the brain is jello-like in texture and cushioned in cerebrospinal fluid, a powerful hit - from a hard tackle, a fist or bomb shock wave - can cause a concussion, forcing the brain to ricochet back and forth inside the skull.