Mecca

Mecca , officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. Pilgrims in huge numbers visit every year during the Ḥajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhul-Hajj.

Mecca is generally considered the fountainhead and cradle of Islam and is revered in Islam as the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Hira cave atop the Jabal al-Nur, just outside the city, is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad. The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is home to the Ka'bah. It is believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael and is one of Islam's holiest sites and the direction of prayer for all Muslims (qibla).

Mecca has seen a tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure, with newer, modern buildings such as the Abraj Al Bait, the world's fourth-tallest building and third-largest by floor area, towering over the Great Mosque. Non-Muslims are strictly prohibited from entering the city.

Mecca is governed by the Mecca Regional Municipality The City of Mecca amanah, which constitutes Mecca and the surrounding region, is the capital of the Mecca Province, which includes the neighbouring cities of Jeddah and Ta'if. Mecca holds an important place in Islam and is the holiest city in all branches of the religion. The city derives its importance from the role it plays in the Hajj and Umrah.

Masjid al-Haram - The Masjid al-Haram is the site of two of the most important rites of both the Hajj and of the Umrah, the circumambulation around the Ka'bah (tawaf) and the walking between the two mounts of Safa and Marwa. The masjid is also the site of the Zamzam Well. According to Islamic tradition, a prayer in the masjid is equal to 100,000 prayers in any other masjid around the world.

Kaaba - The Ka'bah is the common direction of prayer (qibla) for all Muslims. The surface surrounding the Ka'bah on which Muslims circumambulate it is known as the Mataf.

Hijr al-Aswad (The Black Stone) - The Black Stone is a stone, considered by scientists to be a meteorite or of similar origin and believed by Muslims to be of divine origin. It is set in the eastern corner of the Ka’bah and it is Sunnah to touch and kiss the stone. The area around the stone is generally always crowded and guarded by policemen to ensure the pilgrims' safety.

Maqam Ibrahim - This is the stone that Ibraham stood on to build the higher parts of the Ka'bah. It contains two footprints that are comparatively larger than average modern-day human feet. The stone is raised and housed in a golden hexagonal chamber beside the Ka'bah on the Mataf plate.

Safa and Marwa - Muslims believe that in the divine revelation to Muhammad, the Quran, Allah describes the mountains of Safa and Marwah as symbols of his divinity. Walking between the two mountains seven times, 4 times from Safa to Marwah and 3 times from Marwah interchangeably, is considered a mandatory pillar of Umrah.