Makkah, known to the Muslims as Umm al-Qura, the Mother of Cities, is the holiest place in the Islamic world and is only accessible to Muslims around the world. Every year, millions of devout Muslims take their pilgrimage into the city during Hajj to perform a series of rituals. The pilgrimage occurs from the eighth to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar and usually last for 13 days. The Makkah government issues VISA annually during this period to control the number of people arriving into the city. In 2009, the city saw over 2 million pilgrims entering during this period.
Separately, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is a time where Muslims fast and observe self-restraint. The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (also known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, per the lunar sighting.