Mecca

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(Redirected from Makkah)

A view of Makkah during the Hajj, with Mt. Arafat in the distance.

Mecca or Makkah (called Mecca in older texts (officially: Makkah al-Mukarramah; Arabic: مكة المكرمة‎) is a city in Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 1,294,167 (2004 census). The city is located 73 kilometres inland from Jeddah, in the narrow sandy Valley of Abraham, 277 metres above sea level. It is located 81 kilometres from the Red Sea.

Makkah is the holiest city in the Islamic world. Every year, millions of Muslims walk a pilgrimage to Makkah. This is called the Hajj, where they follow in the footsteps of Muhammad. The Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram, the holiest mosque in Islam is situated here. Makkah is closed to non-Muslims except some journalists reporting on the Hajj.

[change] History

The Kaaba, the small cubical building which Muslims pray towards is believed to have been built by Ibrahim and has been a religious center ever since. Muslims believed that God commanded Ibrahim to send his second wife Hajar and her son Ismail there 14:37. They found the Zamzam Well which led to people settling nearby, and thus Makkah was born. When Ismail was big enough, he helped his father to build the Kaaba. The kaaba is the place that the muslims pray towards. This is known as the Qibla and this is the only place which muslims can pray towards. 2:217.