Egypt was the assembly point for pilgrims from North and Central Africa. They arrived in Alexandria and proceeded to Cairo, where they embarked at Fustat and sailed 640 km up the River Nile to the city of Qus, in the South. Camels then carried them to 'Ayzaab, one of the most important Red Sea Ports. From there sailing boats ferried them across to Arabia. The crossing was hazardous: many ships sank and a number of pilgrims drowned.