Mecca
Discover Mecca
Mecca, officially known as Makkah al-Mukarramah (Arabic: مكة المكرمة, Makkah al-Mukarramah), is a city in Saudi Arabia and the holiest city in Islam. Mecca is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammed, the founder of Islam, and Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed to Muhammad here. The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as Masjid al-Haram is considered to be Islam's most sacred mosque and Muslims anywhere face toward it when they pray.
What to Experience in Mecca
Taste of Mecca...
Being one of the most visited cities in the world, you can sample food from all over the world! There is an Al-Baik Restaurant adjacent to the Sacred Mosque. You can also try the fullset-chicken with cheap price, even cheaper than KFC. During the Hajj, you can try some Zamzam water, which is believed to be divinely blessed. As this is Saudi Arabia, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is virtually non-existent. Mecca has a plethora of hotels. Prices vary depending on the hotel's proximity to the Holy Mosque. Some of the world's greatest hotels are situated in Mecca, and are full year-round. Make sure to book early, as soon as you know your dates of travel. Mecca in general is a safe city, but one should take extra precautions during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The various safety tips found in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. Refer it to often to stay out of trouble. Overcrowding and stampedes are not unusual in Mecca. Since the development of air travel, pilgrims have been able to access the city much easily than before (earlier people used to travel to Mecca by boat or by other means), and as a result, the city's capacity can be completely overwhelmed. If you're travelling with family members or with a friend, stick together. Supervise your children (if you have any) closely to make sure they are close to you and are not lost among the crowd.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Mecca into what it is today.
Mecca is generally considered "the fountainhead and cradle of Islam". Muslims believe that the history of Mecca goes back to Abraham (Ibrahim) who built the Kaaba with the help of his eldest son Ishmael around 2000 BCE. In 570 CE, Muhammad was born in Mecca. Since those days, Mecca's history and identity has been inextricably linked with Islam. According to Muslim traditions, in 610, it was in Mecca (inside the Hira cave on the mountain of Jabal al-Nour) where Muhammad the age of 40 received his first revelation from Allah, through the Angel Gabriel. Muhammad then began preaching. In 622, Muhammad left Mecca for Yathrib (now called Medina) for fear of being assassinated by the local Quraysh ruling clan, who had declined to accept Muhammad and his beliefs and started persecuting followers of Islam. As Muhammad migrated to Medina and settled there, several armed conflicts followed between followers of Muhammad and local tribes of Mecca, particularly one during which the followers of Muhammad attempted to return to Mecca in 628 for pilgrimage but weren't allowed to enter the city. A peace treaty was eventually signed that allowed followers of Muhammad to return to Mecca. In 629, Muhammad along with thousands of his followers migrated back to Mecca from Medina (where he had lived for 13 years) for a Hajj, known as the first pilgrimage....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFor more information on Saudi immigration regulations, please refer to the "Get in" section of the Saudi Arabia article. If you plan on visiting during the Hajj, you must apply for a Hajj visa. Since Mecca is deemed as a sacred and holy land, Mecca is a no-fly zone. There are no airports in the city, and commercial planes are strictly forbidden from flying over the city. Once you've landed in either Jeddah or Taif, the next step is to drive to the city. Mecca is served by two major highways: Highway 40 and Highway 15. If you don't have your own car, you can consider doing the following: The quickest way to enter the city is by train. A train ride to Mecca from Jeddah will take you at least 30 or so minutes. The Haramain high-speed railway links Mecca and Medina via Jeddah, and you can directly go to the city from the train station at King Abdulaziz International Airport. The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) offers bus services to and from the city....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Mecca's transportation network is well developed, however, expect getting around to be a literal hassle during the Hajj; millions of pilgrims are in every nook and corner of the city, and it can take ages to get to one place from another. The Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line (Arabic: قطار المشاعر المقدسة الخط الجنوبي) is the only operating metro line in the city. The metro was built in the year 2010 by a Chinese railway construction firm (China Railway Construction Corporation Limited). It is believed to have the highest capacity of any existing metro in the world, which, truthfully, should come as no surprise to you, considering how millions of pilgrims flock every year to Mecca for the Hajj. There are plans to fully add another metro network in the near future and this new network, known as Makkah Mass Rail Transit, will consist of four lines: line A, line B, line C, and line D. A total of 88 stations are expected to be served by this intended expansion.
Where to Stay
Mecca has a plethora of hotels. Prices vary depending on the hotel's proximity to the Holy Mosque. Some of the world's greatest hotels are situated in Mecca, and are full year-round. Make sure to book early, as soon as you know your dates of travel. Mecca in general is a safe city, but one should take extra precautions during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The various safety tips found in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. Refer it to often to stay out of trouble. Overcrowding and stampedes are not unusual in Mecca. Since the development of air travel, pilgrims have been able to access the city much easily than before (earlier people used to travel to Mecca by boat or by other means), and as a result, the city's capacity can be completely overwhelmed. If you're travelling with family members or with a friend, stick together. Supervise your children (if you have any) closely to make sure they are close to you and are not lost among the crowd.
Money & Budget
While in Mecca, many pilgrims purchase trinkets to remember their time and souvenirs to bring back to family and friends. Zamzam water is available free. It is consumed in Mecca and brought home as a souvenir. Other items to buy in and around Mecca are: prayer mats and hats, prayer beads and perfume. Being one of the most visited cities in the world, you can sample food from all over the world! There is an Al-Baik Restaurant adjacent to the Sacred Mosque. You can also try the fullset-chicken with cheap price, even cheaper than KFC. During the Hajj, you can try some Zamzam water, which is believed to be divinely blessed. As this is Saudi Arabia, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is virtually non-existent. Mecca has a plethora of hotels.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Mecca in general is a safe city, but one should take extra precautions during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The various safety tips found in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. Refer it to often to stay out of trouble. Overcrowding and stampedes are not unusual in Mecca. Since the development of air travel, pilgrims have been able to access the city much easily than before (earlier people used to travel to Mecca by boat or by other means), and as a result, the city's capacity can be completely overwhelmed. If you're travelling with family members or with a friend, stick together. Supervise your children (if you have any) closely to make sure they are close to you and are not lost among the crowd. In September 2015, approximately 2,236 pilgrims were trampled upon and killed in Mina, an incident regarded as the worst ever stampede in the city.
Glimpses of Mecca
Kâbe - Kabe - Kaabe - Mescidi Haram - Masjid Haram
a group of people standing in front of a tall building
Kaaba (Mosque) During Umrah In Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
#mekke #Allah #kabe #tavaf
people in front of brown concrete building during daytime
Ka'bah
Mekke Hazreti Muhammed'in doğduğu ve İslam dininin ilk çıktığı yer. Kabe İbrahim Peygamberin yaptığı bina Milyonlarca Müslüman burada hac ibadeti yapar
Kaaba, Mecca
قبلة المسلمين
Kaaba in broad daylight
Kâbe - Kabe - Kaabe - Mescidi Haram - Masjid Haram
a group of people standing in front of a tall building
Kaaba (Mosque) During Umrah In Mecca, Saudi Arabia.