Egyptian Muslims try to catch balloons after performing the Eid Al-Adha morning prayer outside al-Sedik mosque in the northeastern suburb of Sheraton in the capital Cairo,, on August 11, 2019 AFP
Millions of Egyptian Muslims gathered in mosques across the country on Sunday morning to perform the Eid Al-Adha prayer.
After the prayer, worshippers who could afford to do so sacrificed sheep, goats or cows, to mark the festival.
After prayers, many Egyptians across the country took to public parks, the River Nile, movie theatres for new releases and zoos to celebrate the holiday.
Balloon-sellers and other street vendors were out on the streets to cater to the crowds.
More than 40,000 people visited Giza Zoo in Greater Cairo on Sunday, according to Mohamed Ragaey, head of the zoo’s managing body.
In the Nile Delta govenorate of Beheira, thousands filled the Nile corniches in the cities of Damanhour, Rashid and Idku.
In Sohag, in Upper Egypt, the corniche promenade was filled with people planning to take boat trips on the Nile. Four additional ferries were put on to transport people to parks around the city.
In the southern governorate of Aswan, accommodation rates at hotels was up to 50-70 percent, the website of Egypt's state television said.
People also went on boat trips on the Nile or enjoyed their afternoons at parks.
Security was tight Sunday morning, with authorities on guard around religious sites, public parks and transport services.
The interior ministry said in a statement on Friday that temporary checkpoints will be deployed and rapid deployment and intervention forces will be sent out to secure major buildings and vital areas. Female police personnel will be involved in the inspections, it added.
In the morning, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and a number of top government officials performed the Eid prayer at a mosque in New Alamein City on the Mediterranean coast.
Eid Al-Adha is one of the two major religious holidays of the Islamic calendar.
It coincides with the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son on God's command.
Thousands of Egyptian Muslims have joined 2.5 million Muslims from across the world to perform the Hajj in the holy land this year.
Egyptians have a four-day paid holiday till Wednesday to mark the event.
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