The homeland of the Prophet Muhammad and the sacred city for everyone who professes Islam, Mecca appears in the writings of Diodorus of Siculus. Greek historian of the 1st century BC wrote about a place in Arabia where there is a temple sacred to all Arabs. Located in Mecca, the Kaaba was the center of cult worship of the pagans until the 7th century, when the local peoples converted to Islam. Today, making a pilgrimage tour to Mecca, called the Hajj, is a sacred deed for every Muslim, as in pagan times.
Profitable tourism
The income from the pilgrimage is especially important for Mecca and the entire Arabian Peninsula. The city is growing and its infrastructure is developing in the direction of meeting the needs of more and more people who want to touch the Islamic shrines. Modern shopping malls, skyscrapers and hotels are being built throughout the city, many of which have already become world landmarks.
What does the Kaaba keep?
The heart of the city, which every participant of the tour to Mecca aspires to, is the Forbidden Mosque, which took its modern form in 1570. Its courtyard is surrounded by eight-meter white-stone walls, and in the very center of the courtyard there is a quadrangular Kaaba. The main shrine of Muslims has about 80 meters in perimeter. The height of the Kaaba is slightly more than 13 meters, and in one of its corners is placed the Black Stone, which was once, according to the faithful, in paradise. They believe that the Kaaba itself was built by angels.
It is around the Muslim shrine that a ritual circumambulation is performed during the Hajj, and it also serves as a reference point to which Muslims around the world turn to when performing prayers. The Koran mentions the Kaaba, calling it the first structure for worshiping God.
Briefly about the important
- There is no airport in Mecca and air communication is possible only with Jeddah, the economic capital of Saudi Arabia. Since Jeddah is also a port on the Red Sea, numerous pilgrims arrive to Mecca to perform the Hajj by sea. In Jeddah, according to legend, Eve is buried and the grave of the progenitor of mankind is one of the city's attractions. You can get to Mecca from here by buses or cars.
- The hottest months in Mecca are May-September, when the air temperature exceeds +50. In winter - "cool" - up to +30.
- And finally, the most important thing: only Muslims can make tours to Mecca and an attempt to deceive the authorities may end up with a risk not only for freedom, but also for life.
