Today Mecca is known to every cultured person as the center of Islam and the holy city of all Muslims. If a person is not a Muslim, then he has no right to be in this city. But if he professes Islam, then he must make a pilgrimage here, called "Hajj". However, not everyone knows that the history of Mecca is not limited to the history of the Muslim religion.
Holy city
Since Mecca is located in Saudi Arabia - a state with strong Islamic traditions, few of the local historians would have thought to investigate something that was not associated with the name of the Prophet Muhammad, nevertheless, he entered the already existing city, where everyone unanimously accepted Islam. There is also evidence that the main shrine located in Mecca - the Kaaba - also existed earlier.
The construction of this sacred cubic building is attributed first to the heavenly angels, and only then to the prophets. It was rebuilt by Adam first, followed by Ismail, and then by the Quraysh tribe, from which the Prophet Muhammad himself came.
In general, the pre-Muslim history of Mecca is briefly made up of information about the Kaaba - a building that was built to preserve the Black Stone. In the era of atheism, we positioned this stone as a meteorite. Traditions said that he was sent by Allah himself, but who is still a question. According to some sources - Noah, and according to others - to Adam. Today this stone is built into the corner of the Kaaba, therefore, without even going into the building itself, you can touch this shrine.
Was Mecca the capital?
The role of Mecca as a capital city never materialized. It is enough that it is a major pilgrimage center. But there is also Medina, which, along with Mecca, is considered the main city of Muslims. However, many currents appeared in Islam, and their representatives wanted to see the city in which the sacred Kaaba is located as their own. As a result, Mecca was captured by: the Umayyads - representatives of the dynasty of the caliphs; The Carmatians are a sect of Ismaili Muslims; Diri Emirate is the first Saudi state.
Today Saudi Arabia has its capital, Riyadh, but Mecca has remained a center of pilgrimage for Muslims around the world. This led to the fact that there is now a gigantic mosque around the Kaaba, so that everyone who wants to make the Hajj can be accommodated.
