Saudi Arabia buries its king: Thousands gather in Mecca as King Abdullah is laid to rest in Riyadh after losing battle with pneumonia
- Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, 90, died last night in hospital after losing his battle with pneumonia
- Tens of thousands of people gathered in Mecca and Riyadh today to mourn just hours after King's death
- The late King's body was wrapped in a plain cloth as it was carried into his funeral in a grand mosque in the capital
- Family and dignitaries crowded round as he was buried in an unmarked grave, in keeping with tradition
- The new King Salman, 79, has inherited the throne and led the prayers to the late Abdullah - his half-brother
- Buckingham Palace lowers Union Jack to half-mast, with Prince Charles set to visit Saudi Arabia to pay respects
The
body of King Abdullah has been buried in an unmarked grave in Riyadh
less than 24 hours after his death plunged Saudi Arabia into mourning.
Family,
friends and dignitaries from the Arab world crowded around the grave to
pay their final respects following the monarch's funeral this
afternoon.
Abdullah's
body was shrouded in a simple cloth as he was carried into the Imam
Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in Riyadh on a stretcher.
The
royal died last night aged 90 after losing his battle with pneumonia
and was buried in an unmarked grave, in keeping with Muslim traditions.
Tens
of thousands gathered in the capital and Mecca to pay their respects,
with Prince Charles set to visit the oil-rich Kingdom on behalf of the
Queen to offer his condolences.
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Saudi King Abdullah was buried in an
unmarked grave in Riyadh following his funeral this afternoon, less than
a day after he died
Thousands gathered in Mecca as King Abdullah was laid to rest in Riyadh after losing battle with pneumonia at the age of 90
Family, friends and dignitaries from
the Arab world crowded around the grave to pay their final respects
following the monarch's funeral
Tens of thousands gathered in Riyadh
and Mecca to pay their respects, while foreign leaders congregated in
the Saudi capital for the funeral
Mourners crowd around the grave of
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, with some taking pictures on mobile
phones, at the Al-Od cemetary
A member of the Saudi security forces
stands guard as mourners pray at the grave of Saudi Arabia's King
Abdullah at the Al-Od cemetary
Saudi King Salman pledged on Friday to
maintain existing energy and foreign policies then quickly moved to
appoint younger men as his heirs
The body of Saudi King Abdullah, laid
on a prayer mat, is carried into the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand
Mosque in Riyadh during his funeral
The body of King Abdullah was carried
into the mosque as his funeral began, less than 24 hours after Saudi
Arabia was plunged into mourning
Mourners carrying the body of King
Abdullah, wrapped in a shroud, during his funeral at Riyadh's Imam Turki
bin Abdullah mosque today
The body of King Abdullah was shrouded
in a simple cloth after being carried in to the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah
Grand Mosque in Riyadh
Dozens of mourners attended the funeral prayer of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabiam on January 23
His body was shrouded in a simple cloth as he was carried into the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in Riyadh on a stretcher
Abdullah's death was confirmed on
state television yesterday with channels cutting to Koranic verses -
only used following the death of a senior royal
Death: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died last night aged 90 following a battle with pneumonia
High alert: Armed Saudi troops were on heavy guard as dignitaries arrived at the ceremony in Riyadh this afernoon
Abdullah's
death was confirmed on state television yesterday with channels cutting
to Koranic verses - only used following the death of a senior royal.
His
funeral took place in Riyadh, where, in keeping with Muslim
traditions, Abdullah's body was shrouded in a simple cloth as he was
carried in by men wearing red-and-white checked headgear.
He was then buried in an unmarked grave, believed to show humility and a respect for Allah.
Abdullah's
predecessors and other half brothers have also been interred in
unmarked graves in the al-Aoud cemetery where he will be buried later,
as well as in other simple graveyards in other cities.
Prayers were led by King Salman, 79, who has succeeded his half-brother as King of Saudi Arabia.
The
funeral was attended by Muslim heads of state and other senior figures,
including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif.
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