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Mecca

City in Saudi ArabiaMecca lies in a narrow valley in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, about 70 km inland from Jeddah and the Red Sea, at about 280 m above sea level.

What it's known for

Mecca is the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. Its Great Mosque surrounds the Kaaba, the direction Muslims face in prayer, and every year pilgrims come for the Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the city.

Fun facts

  1. The city's official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah, which means 'Makkah the Honored', and Bakkah is an ancient name for it.
  2. Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad in the Cave of Hira, on top of Jabal al-Nour just outside the city.
  3. Although the land around it was barren, the early town had plenty of water from the Zamzam Well.

Finding it on the globe

Find Jeddah on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, a little south of the middle of that coast, then move a short way inland to the east: that is Mecca.

Easy to mix up

Mecca is the religious centre of Saudi Arabia, but the capital is Riyadh, about 790 km to the east-northeast in the middle of the country.

Sources: Wikipedia: Mecca