Coordinates: 21°25′00″N 39°49′00″E / 21.416667, 39.816667

City of Mecca / Makkah Al Mukarrammah
Masjid al-Haram, the center of Mecca, and the source of its prominence
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname: Umm Al Qura (Mother of Villages)
Location of Mecca
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Makkah Province
Construction of Kaaba	+2000 BC
Established	Unknown
Joined Saudi Arabia	1924
Government
- Mayor	Osama Al-Bar
- Provincial Governor	Khalid al Faisal
Area Mecca Municipality
- Urban	850 km² (328. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām ( ar المسجد الحرام ʔælmæsʤɪd ælħaram "The Sacred Mosque" is the largest Mosque in the world The flag of Saudi Arabia is the flag used by the government of Saudi Arabia since March 15, 1973. The Saudi Arabian Coat of arms ( شعار السعودية) was adopted in 1950 A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 emirates ( manatiq idāriyya, singular – Mintaqah idariyya,) Makkah Province is the most populous province of Saudi Arabia, located in the west of the country with an extended coastline The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (* 1941 is the son of His late Majesty King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz and the governor of Makkah Province in western Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 2 sq mi)
- Metro	1,200 km² (463. 3 sq mi)
Population (2007)
- City	1,700,000
- Density	4,200/km² (2,625/sq mi)
- Urban	2,053,912
- Metro	2,500,000
	Makkah Municipality estimate
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)
- Summer (DST)	EAT (UTC+3)
Postal Code	(5 digits)
Area code(s)	+966-2
Website: Mecca Municipality

Mecca IPA: /ˈmɛkə/, also spelled Makkah IPA: [ˈmækə] (in full: Makkah Al-Mukarramah IPA: [(Arabic) mækːæ(t) ælmʊkarˑamæ]; Arabic: مكّة المكرمة‎) is Islam's holiest city home to the Kaaba shrine and the Grand mosque. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Holy city is a synonym applied to many cities all of them central to the history or faith of specific religions The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām ( ar المسجد الحرام ʔælmæsʤɪd ælħaram "The Sacred Mosque" is the largest Mosque in the world The city is known for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which being one of the five pillars of Islam, attracts close to 2 million pilgrims. The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic أركان الإسلام is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim.

Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. Ishmael ( Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Standard Yišmaʿel Tiberian Yišmāʿêl Arabic: إسماعيل In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city, by now an important trading center, and the city played an important role in the early history of Islam. Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics After 966, Mecca was led by local sharifs, until 1924, when it came under the rule of the Saudis. The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ^[1] In its modern period, Mecca has seen a great expansion in size and infrastructure.

The modern day city is located in and the capital of Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Makkah Province is the most populous province of Saudi Arabia, located in the west of the country with an extended coastline al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia With a population of 1,700,000 (2008), the city is located 73 kilometres (45 miles) inland from Jeddah, in a narrow valley, and 277 metres (910 ft) above sea level. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda; جدّة Ǧiddah) is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit

Etymology

Mecca is the original English transliteration of the Arabic name. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Historically, the city has also been called Becca. ^[2][3]

In the 1980s, the Saudi Arabian government and others began promoting the transliteration Makkah (in full, Makkah al-Mukarramah), which more closely resembles the actual Arabic pronunciation. This spelling is starting to be taken up by many organizations, including the United Nations,^[4] United States Department of State,^[5] and the British Foreign Office, ^[6] but the spelling Mecca remains in common use. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting

Another common alternative is Meccah. ^[7]

Derived from the importance of the city in Islam is the English word mecca, meaning "A place that is regarded as the center of an activity or interest" or "A goal to which adherents of a religious faith or practice fervently aspire. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States "^[8]

Government

Mecca is governed by the Municipality of Mecca, headed by a mayor (Also known as Amin) appointed by the Saudi Government. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The politics of Saudi Arabia takes place in a framework of an Absolute monarchy whereby the King of Saudi Arabia is not only Head of state, but also the The current mayor of the city is Osama Al-Bar. A municipal council of fourteen locally elected members is responsible for the functioning of the municipality.

Mecca is the capital of Makkah Province, which includes neighboring Jeddah. Makkah Province is the most populous province of Saudi Arabia, located in the west of the country with an extended coastline Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda; جدّة Ǧiddah) is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the The governor was Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Aziz from 2000 until his death in 2007. Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdul Aziz ( عبد المجيد بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود) (circa 1943– May 5 2007) was a Saudi Arabian prince ^[9] On May 16, 2007, Prince Khalid al Faisal was appointed as the new governor. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (* 1941 is the son of His late Majesty King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz and the governor of Makkah Province in western ^[10]

History

1787 Turkish artwork of the Holy Mosque and related religious sites (Jabal al-Nur)

Early history

According to Islamic tradition, the history of Mecca goes far back to by Ibrahim (ابراهيم, Abraham) when he built the Kaaba with the help of his son Ismā'īl (اسماعيل, Ishmael), around 2000 BC. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Ishmael ( Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Standard Yišmaʿel Tiberian Yišmāʿêl Arabic: إسماعيل The inhabitants were stated to have fallen away from monotheism through the influence of the Amelkites. According to the Book of Genesis and 1 Chronicles, Amalek ( Arabic, عماليق, was the son of Eliphaz and the grandson of ^[11] Historians state that the Kaaba later became the repository of 360 idols and tribal gods of all of Arabia's nomadic tribes. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that Until the 7th century, Mecca's most important god would remain to be Hubal, having been placed there by the ruling Quraysh tribe. "Hubal" was also the pseudonym of Henryk Dobrzanski, a Polish partisan from World War II Hubal (هبل Quraish is also the name of a Surah in the Qur'an. Quraysh or Quraish (Arabic ar قريش ^[12][13]

The city was also known to Ptolemy as "Macoraba". Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca In the 5th century, the Quraysh tribe took control of Mecca, and became skilled merchants and traders. In the 6th century they joined the lucrative spice trade as well, since battles in other parts of the world were causing trade routes to divert from the dangerous sea routes to the relatively more secure overland routes. Spice trade is a commercial activity of ancient origin which involves the merchandising of Spices and Herbs. The Byzantine Empire had previously controlled the Red Sea, but piracy had been on the increase. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering Another previous route, that from the Persian Gulf via the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was also being threatened by exploitation from the Sassanid Empire, as well as being disrupted by the Lakhmids, the Ghassanids, and the Roman-Persian Wars. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the The Tigris is the eastern member of the two great Rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of southeastern The Euphrates ( ( Arabic: ar نهر الفرات; Turkish: tr Fırat Syriac: syr ܦܪܬ; Hebrew: he פרת The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire The Lakhmids ( Arabic:) Banu Lakhm ( Arabic:) Muntherids ( Arabic:) were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Mecca's prominence as a trading center surpassed the cities of Petra and Palmyra. Petra (from "petra" rock in Greek; Arabic: البتراء Al-Batrāʾ) is an archaeological site in the Arabah Palmyra ( Arabic: تدمر Tadmor) was in ancient times an important city of central Syria, located in an Oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus ^[14][15]

By the middle of the 6th century, there were three major settlements in northern Arabia, all along the southwestern coast that borders the Red Sea, in a habitable region between the sea and the great desert to the east. This area, known as the Hejaz, featured three settlements that had grown around oasis, where water was available. al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia In Geography, an oasis (plural oases) or Cienega ( Southwestern United States) is an isolated area of vegetation in a Desert, typically In the center of the Hejaz was Yathrib, later renamed as Medina. Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as 250 miles (400 km) south of Yathrib was Taif, a mountain town, and northwest of Taif was Mecca. Ta’if ( ar الطائف) is a city in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia at an elevation of 1700 metres on the slopes of the Al-Sarawat Though the area around Mecca was completely barren, Mecca was the wealthiest and most important of the three settlements. Islamic histories state that it had abundant water via the Zamzam Well, which was the site of the holiest shrine in Arabia, the Kaaba, and was also at the crossroads of major caravan routes. Muslim history began in Arabia with the Muhammad 's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the A camel train is a series of Camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points ^[16]. In actual fact the well of Zamzam was barely sufficient to support the small community there, the Kaaba was but one of many such Arabian Polytheistic temple found in the peninsula, and the city was the terminus for a single caravan route which ran from Mecca to Syria. Ancient Semitic religion spans the Polytheistic religions of the Semitic speaking peoples of the Ancient Near East. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية ^[17]

The harsh conditions of the Arabian peninsula usually meant a constant state of conflict between the tribes, but once a year they would declare a truce and converge upon Mecca in an annual pilgrimage. A feud (ˈfjuːd (referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud or vendetta) is a long-running argument or fight between parties&mdashoften through Guilt Arabs are a Semitic people descending from various Old North Arabian tribes This journey was intended for religious reasons, to pay homage to the shrine, and to drink from the Well of Zamzam. However, it was also the time each year that disputes would be arbitrated, debts would be resolved, and trading would occur at Meccan fairs. These annual events gave the tribes a sense of common identity and made Mecca extremely important throughout the peninsula. ^[18]

Muhammad's great-grandfather had been the first to equip a camel caravan, and they became a regular part of the town's economy. Alliances were struck between the merchants in Mecca, and the local nomadic tribes, who would bring leather, livestock, and metals which were mined in the local mountains. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that Caravans would then be loaded up in Mecca, and would take the goods to the cities in Syria and Iraq. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. ^[19] Islamic tradition claims that goods from other continents also flowed through Mecca. From Africa and the Far East towards Syria supposedly flowed spices, leather, drugs, cloth, and slaves; and in return Mecca was to have received money, weapons, cereals, and wine, which were distributed throughout Arabia. The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. The Meccans signed treaties with both the Byzantines and the Bedouins, and negotiated safe passage for caravans, which included such things as water and pasture rights. The Bedouin, (from the Arabic (ar بدوي pl badū) are a desert-dwelling Arab Nomadic pastoralist, or previously These further increased Mecca's political power as well as economic, and Mecca became the center of a loose confederation of client tribes, which included those of the Banu Tamim. This is not the Sub-clan of Quraish, for that see Banu Taim Banī Tamīm or Banu Tamim or Banu Tameem A casual examination of a map of the middle east shows that this is improbable. Mecca is simply not on the way to anywhere, from anywhere. Other forces such as the Abyssinian, Ghassan, and Lakhm were in decline, and Meccan influence was the primary binding force in Arabia in the late 6th century. The term Habesha ( Ge'ez ሐበሻ ḥabaśā, Amh hābešā, Tgn ^[18]

Muhammad

Main articles: Muhammad and Conquest of Mecca

Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570, and thus Islam has been inextricably linked with Mecca ever since. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Mecca was conquered by the Muslims in January 630 AD (10th day of Ramadan[[ AH]] Muhammad was born in a minor faction, the Hashemites, of the ruling Quraysh tribe. Hashemite is the Latinate version of the Arabic: هاشمي ( Transliteration: Hāšimī and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim Islamic tradition states that he began receiving divine revelations here in 610 AD, and began to preach monotheism against Meccan paganism. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world After enduring persecution for 13 years, Muhammad emigrated (see Hijra) in 622 with his followers to Medina. The Hijra (هِجْرَة or withdrawal is the migration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 ( Common Era) Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as The conflict between the Quraysh and the Muslims, however, continued: the two fought Battle of Badr, where Muslims defeated the Quraysh outside Medina; whilst the Meccans overcame the Muslims at the Battle of Uhud. The Battle of Badr (غزوة بدر fought March 17, 624 AD (17 Ramadan 2 AH in the Islamic calendar) in the Hejaz The Battle of Uhud (غزوة أحد) was fought on 23 March 625 (3 Shawwal 3 AH in the Islamic calendar) at Mount Uhud, in what Overall, however, Meccan efforts to annihilate Islam were unsuccessful, and during the Battle of the Trench in 627, the combined armies of Arabia were unable to defeat Muhammad. The Battle of the Trench (غزوة الخندق|Ghazwah al-Khandaq also known as Battle of the Confederates (غزوة الاحزاب|Ghazwah al-Ahzab was a fortnight-long ^[20]

The Ottoman Empire, Including Mecca

In 628, Muhammad and his followers peacefully marched to Mecca, attempting to enter the city for pilgrimage. Instead, however, both Muslims and Meccans entered into the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, whereby Muslims and Quraysh would cease fighting and Muslims would be allowed into the city the following year. The Treaty of Hudaybiyya ( Arabic: صلح الحديبية) is the treaty that took place between the state of Medina and the Quraishi Two years later the Quraysh violated the truce, but instead of continuing thier fight, the city of Mecca shortly surrendered to Muhammad. The prophet declared amnesty for the inhabitants, gave generous gifts to the leading Quraysh. Mecca was cleansed of all its idols and cult images in the Kaaba. Muhammad declared Mecca as the holiest site in Islam ordaining the it as the center of Muslim pilgrimage, one of the faith's five pillars. There are many Holy sites in various Islāmic traditions For all muslims the Ka'bah is considered the Holiest shrine followed by Masjidun Nabawi ( The Prophet's Mosque The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic أركان الإسلام is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. Despite his conquest, however, Muhammad chose to return to Medina, leaving behind Attab bin Usaid to govern the city. Muhammad's other activities in Arabia led to the unification of the peninsula, putting an end to the wars that had disrupted life in the city for so long. ^[20][14]

Muhammad died in 632, but with the sense of unity that he'd passed on to the Arabians, Islam began a rapid expansion, and within the next few hundred years stretched from North Africa well into Asia. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan As the Islamic Empire grew, Mecca continued to attract pilgrims not just from Arabia, but now from all across the Empire, as Muslims sought to perform the annual Hajj.

Mecca also attracted a year-round population of scholars, pious Muslims who wished to live close to the Kaaba, and local inhabitants who served the pilgrims. Due to the difficulty and expense of the Hajj, pilgrims arrived by boat at Jeddah, and came overland, or joined the annual caravans from Syria or Iraq.

Political history

The First Saudi State, Including Mecca

Mecca was never the capital of any of the Caliphates including the Ottoman Empire. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Muslim rulers did, however, contribute to its upkeep. During the reign of Umar and Uthman, concerns of flooding caused the caliphs to bring in Christian engineers to build barrages in the high-lying quarters, and also to construct dykes and embankments to protect the area round the Kaʿba. ^[14]

In Islamic history, Muhammad's emigration to Medina established the city as the first capital of the nation. When the Umayyad dynasty took power they moved the capital to Damascus, Syria, and then the Abbasid Caliphate moved the capital to Baghdad, Iraq. Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous The center of the Islamic Empire remained at Baghdad for nearly 500 years, and flourished into a center of research and commerce. In the 13th century, the Mongols invaded Baghdad and sacked the city. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire This event was one of the most detested events in Islamic history. Soon after the Battle of Baghdad, the Mongols rampaged west and conquered Syria. The Battle of Baghdad in 1258 was a victory for the Mongol leader Hulagu Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan. Starting in 1246 the Mongols made repeated attempts to invade Syria. The next city to quickly emerge as the center of power in the Islamic state was Cairo, in Egypt. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. When the Ottoman Empire came into prominence the capital was moved to Constantinople. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Mecca still remained as a prominent trading center though. When pilgrims arrived for the Hajj they often financed their journey by bringing goods which they could sell in the Meccan markets, and acquiring goods there which they could sell when they returned home. ^[21]

Mecca re-entered Islamic political history briefly when it was held by Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, an early Muslim who opposed the Umayyad caliphs. Abd Allah al-Zubayr or Ibn Zubayr or Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr' (624 - 692 (عبد الله بن الزبير was a Sahabi whose father was Zubayr ibn al-Awwam The caliph Yazid I besieged Mecca in 683. Yazid ibn Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan (يزيد بن معاوية بن أبي سفيان ( July 23[[ 45]] - 683 was the second Caliph of the Umayyad ^[22]

Thereafter the city figured little in politics, it was a city of devotion and scholarship. For centuries it was governed by the Hashemite Sharifs of Mecca. The Sharif of Mecca ( Arabic:شريف مكة or Sharif of Hejaz ( Arabic:شريف الحجاز was the title of the former

In 930, Mecca was attacked and sacked by Qarmatians, a millenarian Ismaili Muslim sect led by Abu Tahir Al-Jannabi and centered in eastern Arabia. The Qarmatians, Arabic Qarāmita قرامطة (also spelled "Carmathians" "Qarmathians" "Karmathians" etc For the Egyptian city see Ismaïlia. The Ismāʿīlī ( Urdu: إسماعیلی Ismāʿīlī, Arabic: الإسماعيليون A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Abu Tahir Sulayman Al-Jannabi (906-944 was the ruler of the Qarmatian state in Bahrain and Eastern Arabia who in 930 led the sacking of Mecca. ^[23] The Black Death pandemic hit Mecca in 1349. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia A pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people is an Epidemic of Infectious disease that spreads through ^[24] In 1517, the Sharif of Mecca, Barakat bin Muhammed, acknowledged the supremacy of the Ottoman Caliph, but maintained a great degree of local autonomy. The Sharif of Mecca ( Arabic:شريف مكة or Sharif of Hejaz ( Arabic:شريف الحجاز was the title of the former The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah ^[25]

Mecca in 1850

The city was captured in 1802 by the First Saudi State (Also known as Wahhabis), The Saudis held Mecca until 1813. The First Saudi State was established in the year 1744 (1157 A This was a massive blow to the prestige of the Ottoman Empire, who had exercised sovereignty over the holy cities since 1517, and the lethargic Ottomans were finally moved to action. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The task of bringing Mecca back under Ottoman control was assigned to their powerful viceroy of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha,^[26] who successfully returned Mecca following the victory at Mecca in 1813. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. This article is about the leader of Egypt For other people named Muhammad Ali or Mehmet Ali see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation and Mehemet Ali (disambiguation Ottoman return of Mecca 1813 happened after several days of return of Jeddah. In 1818, the Wahhabis were again defeated, but some of Al Saud clan lived on to found the Second Saudi State that lasted until 1891, and later the present Saudi Arabia. The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Second Saudi State refers to the period in the 19th century when the rule of the House of Saud was restored to central and eastern Arabia after having previously The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi

Saudi Arabia

In June 1916, During the Arab Revolt, the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali revolted against the Ottoman Empire from Mecca and it was the first city captured by his forces following Battle of Mecca (1916). The Arab Revolt (1916&ndash1918 ( الثورة العربية Al-Thawra al-`Arabīya) was initiated by the Sherif Hussein ibn Ali with the aim of securing The Sharif of Mecca ( Arabic:شريف مكة or Sharif of Hejaz ( Arabic:شريف الحجاز was the title of the former Sayyid Hussein bin Ali, GCB (1854 &mdash June 4, 1931) ( حسین بن علی; Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī) was the Sharif The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Battle of Mecca occurred in the Muslim holy city of Mecca In June and July 1916 Sharif Hussien declared a new state, Kingdom of Hejaz, and declared Mecca as the capital of the new kingdom. In 1924, the Sharif of Mecca were overthrown by the Saudis, and Mecca was incorporated into Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Following the Battle of Mecca (1924), The city joint Saudi Arabia until the present days. Battle of Mecca took place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. following the fall of Taif to King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud.

View of Mecca 1910

On November 20, 1979 two hundred armed Islamist dissidents led by Saudi preacher Juhayman al-Otaibi seized the Grand Mosque. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only Juhayman ibn Muhammad ibn Sayf al-Otaibi (جهيمان بن محمد بن سيف العتيبي ( 1936 &ndash 9 January, 1980) was a militant who led the The Grand Mosque Seizure on November 20, 1979, was an armed attack and takeover by armed Islamic fundamentalist Dissidents of the Al-Masjid They claimed that the Saudi royal family no longer represented pure Islam and that the mosque, and the Kaaba, must be held by those of the true faith. The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The rebels seized tens of thousands of pilgrims as hostages and barricaded themselves in the mosque. The siege lasted two weeks, and resulted in several hundred deaths and significant damage to the shrine, especially the Safa-Marwa gallery. While it is the Pakistani forces that carried out the bloodless assault, they were assisted with weapons and planning by a small team of advisors from The French GIGN commando unit. The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, commonly abbreviated GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale is the French Gendarmerie 's Elite In Military science, the term commando can refer to an individual a Military unit, or a raiding style of military operation. ^[27]

On July 31, 1987, during an anti-US demonstration by pilgrims, 402 people were killed (275 Iranian pilgrims, 85 Saudis [including policemen], and 45 pilgrims from other countries) and 649 wounded (303 Iranian pilgrims, 145 Saudis [including policemen] and 201 pilgrims from other countries) after the Saudi police opened fire against the unarmed demonstrators. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar)

Geography

Mecca's skyline, 2008

Mecca is at an elevation of 277 m (910 ft) above sea level, and approximately 50 miles (80 km) inland from the Red Sea. ^[16] The city is situated between mountains, which has defined the contemporary expansion of the city. The city centers around the Grand Mosque area, whose altitude is lower than most of the city. Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām ( ar المسجد الحرام ʔælmæsʤɪd ælħaram "The Sacred Mosque" is the largest Mosque in the world The area around the mosque comprises the old city. The main avenues are Al-Mudda'ah and Sūq al-Layl to the north of the mosque, and As-Sūg Assaghīr to the south. As the Saudis expanded The Grand Mosque in the center of the city, where there were once hundreds of houses are now replaced with wide avenues and city squares. Traditional homes are built of local rock and are generally two to three stories. The total area of Mecca metro today stands over 1,200 km² (463. 3 sq mi)^[28]

Mecca center lies in a corridor between mountains, which is often called the "hollow of Mecca. " Mecca's location was also important for trade, and it was the stop for important trade routes. ^[14]

In pre-modern Mecca, the city exploited a few chief sources of water. The first were local wells, such as zamzam, that produced generally brackish water. The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in The second source was the spring of Ayn Zubayda. The sources of this spring are the the mountains of J̲abal Saʿd and Jabal Kabkāb, which lie a few kilometers east of Ḏj̲abal ʿArafa or about 20 km east southeast of Mecca. Water was transported from it using underground channels. A very sporadic third source was rainfall which was stored by the people in small reservoirs or cisterns. The rainfall, as scant as it is, also presents the threat of flooding and have been a danger since earliest times. According to Al-Kurdī, there had been 89 historic floods by 1965, including several in the Saudi period. In the last century the most severe one occurred in 1942. Since then, dams have been constructed to ameliorate the problem. ^[29]

Climate

Unlike other Saudi Arabian cities, Mecca retains its warm temperature in winter, which can range from +17 °C (63 °F) at midnight to +25 °C (77 °F) in the afternoon. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Summer temperatures are considered very hot and break the +40 °C (104 °F) mark in the afternoon dropping to +30 °C (86 °F) in the evening. Rain usually falls in Mecca in small amounts in December and January.

Some unusual events often happen during the year, such as dust storms in summer, coming from the Arabian Peninsula's deserts or from North Africa. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Snow does not fall in Mecca. "Snowfall" redirects here For other uses see Snow (disambiguation or Snowfall (disambiguation.

Cityspaces

See also: Masjid al-Haram

Mecca houses the Masjid al-Haram, the largest mosque in the world. Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām ( ar المسجد الحرام ʔælmæsʤɪd ælħaram "The Sacred Mosque" is the largest Mosque in the world A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The mosque surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims turn towards while offering daily prayer and considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth. The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Ṣalāt ( Arabic: صلاة‎, pl ṣalawāt, Qur'anic Arabic: صلوة ṣalawah) (also munz in Pashto and EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The mosque is also commonly known as the Haram or Grand Mosque. ^[30]

The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square meters including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to 4 million worshippers during the Hajj period. The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world

The Mecca archway, shaped like an open Qur'an, marks the point beyond which only Muslims may enter. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran ^[31]

The recent expansion of the city provided many modern landmarks such as the huge towers of Abraj Al-Bait, with height of 577 m (1,893 ft). The Abraj Al Bait Towers is a building complex under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. ^[32] The construction of the towers will be completed in 2009, being one of the world's tallest buildings. The site of the towers is located across the street from the entrance to the Grand Mosque.

As a historic city, Mecca owns hundreds of historical landmarks such as the Kaaba, Muslims believe it was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Ishmael ( Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Standard Yišmaʿel Tiberian Yišmāʿêl Arabic: إسماعيل The Zamzam Well is another historical place as well. The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in

The Qishla of Mecca used to be one of the most notable structures for Mecca, The Qishla was an Ottoman castle facing the Grand Mosque and defending the city from any possible attack. The Qishla of Mecca (Mekke Redif Kışlası was built in the 18th century to be a military castle of the Ottoman army in Mecca (nowadays in Saudi Arabia The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. However, The Saudi government removed the structure, giving free space for new hotels and business buildings around the Mosque. ^[33]

Economy

The Meccan economy has been heavily dependent on the annual pilgrimage. As one scholar put it, "[Meccans] have no means of earning a living but by serving the hajjis. " Economy generated from hajj, in fact, not only powers the Meccan economy but has historically had far reaching effects on the economy of the Hejaz and Najd regions. al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia Nejd or Najd (literally "highland" نجد) is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula. The income was generated in a number of ways. One method was taxing the pilgrims. Taxes especially increased during the Great Depression, and many of these taxes existed as late as 1972. With rise of oil income, however, all unnecessary charges have been abolished. ANother way the Hajj generates income is through services to pilgrims. For example, the Saudi national airline, Saudia, generates 12% of its income from the pilgrimage. Saudi Arabian Airlines ( Arabic: الخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية is the national Airline of Saudi Arabia, based Fares paid by pilgrims to reach Mecca by land also generate income; as do the hotels and lodging companies that house them. ^[29]

The city takes in more than $100 million during the Hajj. The Saudi government spends about $50 million on services for the Hajj. There are some industries and factories in the city, but Mecca no longer plays a major role in Saudi Arabia's economy, which is mainly based on oil exports. ^[34] The few industries operating in Mecca include textiles, furniture, and utensils. The majority of the economy is service oriented. Water is scarce and food must be imported via Shu'eyba water plant and Jeddah.

Nevertheless, many industries have been set up in Mecca. Various types of enterprises that have existed since 1970: corrugated iron manufacturing, copper smithies, carpentry shops, upholstering establishments, vegetable oil extraction plants, sweets manufacturies, flour mills, bakeries, poultry farms, frozen food importing, photography processing, secretarial establishments, ice factories, bottling plants for soft drinks, barber shops, book shops, travel agencies and banks. ^[29]

The city has grown substantially in the 20th and 21st centuries, as the convenience and affordability of jet travel has increased the number of pilgrims participating in the Hajj. A jet aircraft is an Aircraft propelled by Jet engines Jet aircraft fly much faster than Propeller -powered aircraft and at higher altitudes -- as high as Thousands of Saudis are employed year-round to oversee the Hajj and staff the hotels and shops that cater to pilgrims; these workers in turn have increased the demand for housing and services. The city is now ringed by freeways, and contains shopping malls and skyscrapers. ^[35]

Demographics

Population density in Mecca is very high. Most long-term residents of Mecca live in the Old City, and many work in the industry locally known as the Hajj Industry. As Iyad Madani, Saudi Arabia's minister for Hajj was quoted as saying, "We never stop preparing for the Hajj. "^[36] Year-round, pilgrims stream into the city to perform the rites of Umrah, and during the last weeks of Dhu al-Hijjah, on average 4 million Muslims arrive in the city to take part in the rites known as Hajj. Dhu al-Hijja (ar ذو الحجة is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic Calendar. ^[37]

Pilgrims of different ethnicities and backgrounds, from Africa, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Middle East, many of whom remained and became residents of the city. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. As a result, Mecca is much more ethnically diverse than most Saudi cities and its culture more eclectic in nature. Added to the traditional diversity, the oil-boom of the past 50 years has brought hundreds of thousands of working immigrants. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term

Culture

Mecca's culture has been impacted by the large number of pilgrims that arrive annually, and thus boasts a rich cultural heritage.

The first press was brought to Mecca in 1885 by Othman Nūrī Pash̲a,,an Ottoman wālī. During the Hash̲imite period, it was used to print the city's official gazette, al-Ḳibla. The Saudi regime expanded this press into a larger operation, introducing the new Saudi official gazette Umm al-Ḳurā. Henceforth presses and printing techniques were introduced in the city from around the Middle East, mostly via Jeddah. ^[29]

Jeddah is served by one major Arabic-language newspaper, Shams. However, other Saudi and international newspapers are also provided in Mecca such as the Saudi Gazette, Medina, Okaz, Al-Bilad. Saudi Gazette is an English language Daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia. Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as The first three are Mecca's (and other Saudi cities') primary newspapers focusing mainly on issues that affect the city, with over a million readers.

Many television stations serving the city area include Saudi TV1, Saudi TV2, Saudi TV Sports, Al-Ekhbariya, ART channels network and hundreds of cable, satellite and other speciality television providers. Arab Radio and Television Network (Acronym ART) is an Arabic-language Television network characterized by its multitude of channels

In pre-modern Mecca the most common sports were impromptu wrestling and foot races. ^[29] Football is the most popular sport in Mecca, the city hosting some of the oldest sport clubs in Saudi Arabia such as, Al-Wehda FC (established in 1945). Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Al Wahda (الوحدة is a football team from Mecca, Saudi Arabia. King Abdulaziz Stadium is the largest stadium in Mecca with capacity of 33,500. King Abdul Aziz Stadium (ستاد الملك عبدالعزيز is a multi-use Stadium in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Religious significance

See also: Kaaba and Zamzam Well

The vast majority of Meccans are Sunni Muslims, with a minority of Shiite Pilgrims. The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic The city has over 2100 Mosques. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger ^[38]

The Qur'an enjoins Muslims to face the sacred precincts of Mecca during the Salat. Ṣalāt ( Arabic: صلاة‎, pl ṣalawāt, Qur'anic Arabic: صلوة ṣalawah) (also munz in Pashto and This tradition has roots in Muhammad's adoption of the Kaʿba as a physical focus of the new Muslim community, and the direction of prayer, qibla , from the 7th century until the present day. Qiblah ( ar قبلة, also transliterated as Kiblah) is an Arabic word for the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during The determination of this sacred direction gave rise to an important study in medieval Islam, distinct and separate from mainstream Islamic tradition of mathematical geography and cartography. ^[39]

The cultural environment of today's Mecca has been influenced by a religious movement that began in central Arabia in the mid-eighteenth century. This movement is commonly known as the Wahhabi movement. Wahhabism ( Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية or Wahabism is a conservative reformist call of Sunni Islam attributed to It has been also influenced by the Shafi`i school. The Shāfi‘ī Madhab ( ar شافعي) is one of the four schools of Fiqh, or religious law within Also, the conflict between liberals and religious scholars made a major impact on the Society of Mecca.

Since the 7th Century , Mecca has hosted millions of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world in their way to Hajj. The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world This merge with pilgrims has also a major impact on the society and the religion of Meccans.

Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca by Saudi law. ^[40] According to CNN,^[31]

Many religious scholars say this "discrimination" exists because Mecca was once a city where Muslims - including the prophet Mohammed - were persecuted and driven out. When Mohammed and his followers reclaimed the city, it was declared a sanctuary . . . a place where every Muslim should feel safe.

"Non-Muslim Bypass:" Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca.

Those who use fake certificates of Muslim identity (to enter) may be arrested and prosecuted by Saudi authorities^[41]

The Saudi government uses the following verse as a Koranic confirmation for this law, however there are other interpretations to this verse (in particular, People of the Book would usually not be regarded as pagans)^[42]):

"O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unpure; so let them not, after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran This article is about the theological concept in Islam. For the novel by Geraldine Brooks see People of the Book (novel. And if ye fear poverty, soon will God enrich you, if He wills, out of His bounty, for God is All-knowing, All-wise. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. " -- Koran, 9:28

As one might expect, the existence of cities closed to non-Muslims and the mystery of the Hajj aroused intense curiosity in people from around the world. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Some have disguised themselves as Muslims and entered the city of Mecca and then the Grand Mosque to experience the Hajj for themselves. The most famous account of a foreigner's journey to Mecca is A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, written by Sir Richard Francis Burton. Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (19 March 1821 &ndash 20 October 1890 was an English Explorer, Translator, writer ^[43] Burton traveled as a Qadiriyyah Sufi from Afghanistan; his name, as he signed it in Arabic below his frontispiece portrait for "The Jew, The Gypsy and al-Islam," was al-Hajj 'Abdullah. Qadiriyyah ( Arabic: القادريه, Turkish: Kadirilik) (also Transliterated Kadri, Elkadry, Kadray Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف

The primary industry in Mecca in modern times is to support the annual pilgrimage of the Hajj, as well as to support the pilgrims who visit the city at all other times of the year. Major stops in their visit include:

The Kaaba is the ancient stone building towards which all Muslims pray. The Kaaba ( Arabic: ar الكعبة; 'kɑʕbɑ or 'kæʕbæ "Cube" is a Cuboidal building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the It was originally one of multiple such buildings in Arabia, but was the only one made of stone, and therefore is the only one still standing. Many Muslims believe that it dates back to the time of Abraham in 2000 BC. All pilgrims are required to walk counter-clockwise around the Kaaba seven times starting at the Black Stone, in a ritual called the Tawaf. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds 'like the Clock 's hands' from the top to the right then down and then to the left and back to the top Tawaf (طواف is one of the Islamic rituals of Pilgrimage. During the Hajj and Umrah, Muslims are to circumambulate

Muslims believe that the Zamzam Well was revealed to Hagar (هاجر), mother of Ishmael. The Well of Zamzam (or the Zamzam Well, or just Zamzam; Arabic: زمزم) is a well located within the Masjid al Haram in Hagar (הָגָר "Stranger" Standard Hebrew Hagar, Tiberian Hebrew Hāḡār; هاجر Hajar) according to the She was desperately seeking water for her infant son, but could find none. Mecca is located in a hot dry valley with few other sources of water. According to tradition, the water of the Zamzam well is divinely blessed. It is believed to satisfy both hunger and thirst, and cure illness. The water is served to the public through coolers stationed throughout the Masjid al-Haram and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. The Mosque of the Prophet (or Prophet's Mosque) ( Arabic: المسجد النبوي) /mæsʤıd ænːæbæwı in Medina, is the second holiest All pilgrims make every effort to drink of this water during their pilgrimage, and some dip their ihram clothing into it, so that the cloth can be used as their own burial shroud when they die. This is a sub-article of Hajj and Islamic cleanliness. Ihram (إحرام iḥrām, from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-R-M

Cuisine

The Sagga

Meccan residents are a mix of several different ethnicities and nationalities. This mixture of races has impacted significantly on Mecca's traditional cuisine.

Like other Saudi cities, The Nejdi Kabsa is the most traditional lunch for Meccans. Nejd or Najd (literally "highland" نجد) is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula. Kabsa ( كبسة) is a family of rice dishes that are served mostly in Saudi Arabia, and the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The Yemeni Mandi is also popular as a lunch meal. Yemen ( Arabic: اليَمَن al-Yaman officially the Republic of Yemen ( Arabic: الجمهورية اليمنية al-Jumhuuriyya Mandi (Arabic المندي is the traditional dish in Hadhramaut, Yemen.

Grilled meats such as shawarma, kofta and kebab have a good market in Mecca. Shawarma (شاورما or שווארמה also spelled Chawarma, Schawarma, Shwarma, Shuarma, Shawerma, Shoarma, Kofta (see section Name for other names is a Southeastern European Middle Eastern and South Asian Meatball or Dumpling. Kebab (also transliterated as kabab, kabob, kibob, kebhav, kephav) refers to a variety of meat dishes in Middle Eastern During Ramadan, sambousak and ful are the most popular meals during dusk. Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic Sambusac, also known as simbusak or samboussa, is a small fried or baked pasty which may be either half-moon shaped or triangular Ful medames ( Arabic: فول مدمس fūl mudammas) is one of the National dishes of Sudan and Egypt, often eaten at breakfast Dusk refers to the period of time following Sunset. Although commonly confused with twilight dusk is the time frame that occurs either before or after a twilight - when the These meals are almost always found in Lebanese, Syrian, and Turkish restaurants. During Ramadan also but long years ago, a slave man called Sagga used to provide mineral water for people during dusk. The Saggas also used to provide grape juice. Today, Saggas are rich businesspeople, providing sweets such as baklawa and basbosa, along with juice. Baklava is a rich sweet Pastry featured in many Cuisines of the former Ottoman, Arab, and Iranian countries

International food is also popular in the city. American chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's Pizza and KFC. Burger King ( often abbreviated to Domino's Pizza Inc ( is an international Fast food Pizza delivery corporation headquartered just outside Ann Arbor Michigan, United States Kentucky Fried Chicken, usually known as KFC, is a chain of Fast food restaurants based in Louisville Kentucky.

Language

Main article: Hejazi Arabic

The Mecca City area has a distinctive regional speech pattern called the Hejazi dialect, alternatively known as Meccan or Makkawi. Hejazi Arabic (also known as Hijazi Arabic 639-3 West Arabian Arabic is a variety of the Arabic language spoken in the western region of Saudi Arabia It is often considered to be one of the most recognizable accents within the Arabic language.

Pronunciations in Hejazi differ from other Gulf dialects in some respects. The Classical Arabic qaaf (ق) is pronounced as /g/ sound, as in "get". Hijazi Arabic is also conservative with respect to the sound of the pronunciation of the letter ğim (ج), which is very close to the two sounds considered, by specialists, to be the best candidates for the way it was pronounced in Classical Arabic, namely, the voiced palatal plosive /ɟ/ and the palatalized velar stop /gʲ/. [citation needed] This stands in contrast with many dialects in the region which use /g/ or /ʒ/ for ğim instead. Some speakers replace the interdental /θ/ with /t/ or /s/.

The Hejazi dialect also contains fairly recent borrowings from other Arabic dialects, including Levantine and Egyptian Arabic. Levantine Arabic (Arabic شامي (Shami and sometimes called Eastern Arabic) is a group of Arabic varieties spoken in the 100 km-wide eastern-Mediterranean

Education

See also: List of universities in Saudi Arabia

Formal education started to be developed in late Ottoman period continuing slowly into and Hās̲h̲imite times. List of Saudi Arabia 's Universities, Colleges and Institutes. The first major attempt to improve the situation was made by a Jeddah merchant, Muhammad ʿAlī Zaynal Riḍā, who founded the Madrasat al-Falāḥ in Makka in 1911-12 that cost £400,000. ^[29]

The school system in Mecca has many public and private schools for both males and females. As of 2005, there were 532 public and private schools for males and another 681 public and private schools for female students. The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and For the film of this title see Private School (film. Private schools, or Independent schools are Schools not administered ^[44] The medium of instruction in both public and private schools is Arabic with emphasis on English as a second language, but some private schools which are by foreign entities such as (International schools) use the English language for medium of instruction. A second language (L2 is any Language learned after the first language or mother tongue (L1 An International school is loosely defined as a School that does not require their students to learn the national or local language of the country the school is located in They also allow the mixing between males and females while other schools do not.

For higher education, the city has only one university, Umm Al-Qura University, which was established in 1949 as a college and became a public university in 1979. Umm al-Qura may also refer to a calendar of Saudi Arabia See Islamic calendar.

Communications

Telecommunications in the city were emphasized early under the Saudi reign. King ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz pressed them forward as he saw them as a means of convenience and better governance. While in King Husayn's time there were about 20 telephones in the entire city; in 1936 the number jumped to 450, totalling about half the telephones in the country. During that time telephone lines were extended to Jeddah and Taif, but not to the capital Riyadh. Jeddah (also spelled Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda; جدّة Ǧiddah) is a Saudi Arabian city located on the coast of the Ta’if ( ar الطائف) is a city in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia at an elevation of 1700 metres on the slopes of the Al-Sarawat Riyadh ( الرياض Ar-Riyāḍ) is the Capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city By 1985 Mecca, like other Saudi cities, possessed the most modern telephone, telex, radio and TV communications. ^[29]

Limited radio communication was established within the Hejaz region under the Hashimites. al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia Hashemite is the Latinate version of the Arabic: هاشمي ( Transliteration: Hāšimī and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim In 1929, wireless stations were set up in various towns of the region, crating a network that would become fully functional by 1932. Soon after World War II, the existing network was greatly expanded and improved. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Since then radio communication has been used extensively in directing the pilgrimage and addressing the pilgrims. This practice started in 1950, with the initiation of broadcasts the day of Arafat, and increased until 1957, at which time Radio Makka became the most powerful station in the Middle East at 50 kw. Later, power was increased to 450 kw. Music was not immediately broadcast, but gradually introduced. ^[29]

Transportation

Transportation facilities related to the Hajj or Umrah are the main services available. The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world The ʿUmrah or ( عمرة) is a pilgrimage to Mecca performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year Mecca has only the small Mecca East Airport with no airline service, so most pilgrims access the city through the Hajj terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) or the Jeddah Seaport, both of which are in Jeddah. A pilgrim is one who undertakes a Pilgrimage, literally 'far afield' King Abdulaziz International Airport (مطار الملك عبدالعزيز الدولي is an Aviation facility located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Jeddah Port (also called Jeddah Islamic Seaport has an excellent location in the middle of the international shipping route between

The city lacks any public transportation options for residents and visitors, both during and outside of the pilgrimage season. The main tranportation options available for travel within and around the city are either personal vehicles or private taxis.

See also

• Hajj
• History of Islam

Notes

References

• (1999) What life was like in the lands of the prophet: Islamic world, AD 570 - 1405. Time-Life Books. ISBN 0-7835-5465-6.  
• "Quraysh". Encyclopaedia Britannica. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc (2007). Britannica Concise Encyclopedia (online). Retrieved on 2007-02-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum  
• Lapidus, Ira M. (1988). A History of Islamic Societies. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0 521 22552 5.  
• Hawting, G. R. (1980). "The Disappearance and Rediscovery of Zamzam and the 'Well of the Ka'ba'". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 43 (1): 44-54.  

Encyclopedia

• Watt, W. Montgomery. "Makka - The pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods. " Encyclopaedia of Islam. The Encyclopaedia of Islam ( EI) is the standard Encyclopaedia of the Academic discipline of Islamic studies. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C. E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 06 June 2008
• Winder, R. B. "Makka - The Modern City. " Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C. E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W. P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 06 June 2008

Further reading

• Rosenthal, Franz; Ibn Khaldun (1967). Ibn Khaldūn or Ibn Khaldoun (full name أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون,, ( May 27, 1332 AD/732 AH &ndash March 19 The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09797-6.  
• Crone, Patricia (1987). Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam. Princeton University Press.  

External links

• Mecca travel guide from Wikitravel
• Mecca's holy place as viewed from satellite
• Holy Makkah Municipality Official website (in Arabic)
• Saudi Information Resource - Holy Mecca
• Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Meccah, by Richard Burton
• Saudi Arabian Travel and Trekking Guide, A travel site with photos and routes
• mecca.com Islamic multilanguage online community, A web portal to serve muslims all over the world