Where is Mecca? In whatever country a Muslim finds himself, he asks this question in the first place. The fact is that every person who professes Islam, when performing daily prayers, is obliged to face this city.
Mecca
Mecca, where the main shrine of the Muslim world is located, is located in the west of the Arabian Peninsula, 75 km from the Red Sea coast. Today, the city belongs to Saudi Arabia and is the capital of the Hijaz province.
All the buildings of Mecca are located in a small and fairly close rocky valley, densely surrounded by mountains on all sides. The area where the city is located is considered one of the hottest places on the planet. The temperature here can exceed 50 °C. Precipitation falls only from December to April, and the rest of the year is suffocating heat.
Mecca is a holy city for Muslims, and the entry of Gentiles into it is strictly prohibited by the laws of Saudi Arabia.
History of Mecca
It is a mistake to believe that the rise of Mecca began only with the rise of Islam. From time immemorialall the pagan tribes inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula knew perfectly well where the city of Mecca was located. Here was their main sanctuary - the Kaaba. Initially, it was dedicated to the pagan god Hubal. This place is also known for the fact that, according to legends, the grave of Adam and Eve is located near the city.
Since the 6th century, the spice trade has flourished in Mecca and, in addition to numerous pilgrims, merchants from all over the world come here.
The history of Mecca is closely connected with the name of the Prophet Muhammad. It is here, according to legend, that the founder of Islam was born. On Mount Hira, not far from the city, the future Prophet pastured his sheep and goats, and later liked to retire here for reflection in solitude. During such lonely vigils, Muhammad began to receive his famous revelations.
Further history of Mecca has many tragic pages. There were conquests, robberies, fires and epidemics. However, despite many troubles, the city continued to live, receive pilgrims from all over the world and carefully guard its shrines. The main artifacts and sacred buildings are kept by the main mosque in Mecca.
Reserved Mosque
Masjid al-Haram (Reserved Mosque) is one of the oldest and largest mosque in the Muslim world. The first mention of it is found in the sources of 638. During its existence, it was rebuilt several times.
The last major renovation took place in the 16th century. Then the seventh minaret was attached to the building. The fact is that at that time in Istanbul there wasthe famous Blue Mosque was erected, which also had six minarets. The Imam of Mecca considered this sacrilege. He ordered to attach another minaret to the main mosque, so that not a single mosque in the world could surpass the main one in their number.
The luxurious gates of the building are decorated with gold and ebony, and the courtyard is surrounded on all sides by an elegant marble colonnade with pointed arches.
The mosque in Mecca is stunning in its size. It is so huge that there are even escalators in it today for the convenience of moving people.
In the center of Masjid al-Haram there is a building, which is the main goal of all pilgrims.
Kaaba
It's hard to say where the name of this unusual structure comes from. Many experts are sure that this ancient name is derived from the word "cube". There are other names as well. Most often, the Kaaba is called Bayt al-Haram, which means "sacred house". The Kaaba became a sanctuary long before the advent of Islam. She was the center of worship for all the scattered tribes of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Kaaba is a rectangular building with a flat roof and a single entrance. The interior decoration today looks like bare walls, decorated with sayings from the Koran. The exterior of the Kaaba is clad in smooth Meccan granite and topped with a special ornate veil that is renewed every year.
According to legend, back in the time of Muhammad, as a result of a natural disaster, the Kaaba was severely damaged, and he personallyparticipated in the restoration of the sacred building. This happened even before he accepted the mission of the Prophet. After the restoration of the “sacred house”, it was necessary to perform another important ritual - to insert the famous black stone into the eastern wall of the Kaaba. There was a great quarrel between the famous inhabitants of Mecca over who would be awarded such a great honor, and as a result they decided to entrust this right to the first one who enters the gates of the mosque in the morning. Mohammed became such a person. And this was undoubtedly a sign from above.
Black Stone
The famous black stone in Arabic is called Al-Hajar-al-Aswad. It is set in a silver frame and mounted in one of the corners of the Kaaba. According to legend, this stone was given by God to Adam and was originally snow-white. Over time, having absorbed human sins, he turned black.
Modern scientists claim that the stone is of cosmic origin. It was formed as a result of the collision of a meteorite with the Earth. From a geological point of view, this is foamed glass that does not sink in water. Similar stones are often found on the Arabian Peninsula, in the area where Mecca is located. The largest fragment of a meteorite, weighing more than two tons, is now on display in the museum.
According to archaeologists, the sacred black stone was once split, but then assembled and inserted into a silver frame. However, scientists failed to thoroughly study the artifact for obvious reasons.
Muslims revere this stone as a symbol of love and boundless trust in Divine wisdom. The ritual of kissing the stone is intended to show the humility of the believer and the vow to unquestioningly observe all the precepts of the Prophet.
Mecca Today
Today Mecca is a large modern metropolis with a population of two million inhabitants. The city is actively developing in business and industrial terms.
In 2010, a new, largest complex of skyscrapers in the world was opened here. The tallest building - the Royal Tower, is considered the third tallest building on the planet, and the clock is the largest tower clock in the world.
The city is administered by a municipality headed by a mayor appointed by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Not far from Mecca, there is a huge tented camp of Minna, designed to receive pilgrims on the Hajj.
Hajj
Where is Mecca, in which country? This question is asked by many devout Muslims who are about to take the main journey of their lives.
Hajj is a great pilgrimage to the holy places for Islam, which includes several stops, the last of which must certainly be Mecca. The country of departure does not matter at all.
Hajj can be performed by a person of mature age who is free and of sound mind. Women can also undertake the pilgrimage, but they are required to travel only when accompanied by a male relative or as part of a group.
During the Hajj, all pilgrims must go around the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise and spend anothera few obligatory rituals.
Several million people make the Hajj every year, and therefore Mecca is constantly experiencing many problems related to the placement of people and the organization of their movement around the city.
In the days of the greatest influx of pilgrims in the city, accidents often occur. For example, in 1990, there was a horrendous stampede in the pedestrian tunnel that connects Mina and Mecca. More than one and a half thousand people became its victims.
This case is not isolated, but no danger can stop the believers in their desire to visit the holy city. Therefore, any Muslim can answer the question of where Mecca is located, in which country.
Medina
Medina is another holy city of Islam, the second most important after Mecca. If Mecca is the city where the Prophet was born, then Medina is the place where he ended his earthly journey. Here is another sacred mosque of the Muslim world - Masjid al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet).
It is believed that Muhammad himself took part in the construction of this mosque, and its layout served as a model for the creation of all other Islamic temples in the world. Here, under the shadow of a large green dome, is the tomb of the Prophet, and the architectural complex of the mosque now includes the house in which he spent the last years of his life.
How to get to Mecca
To the part of Saudi Arabia where Mecca and Medina are located, today it is best to travel by plane. The nearest airport is located in the city of Jeddah, located ina few dozen kilometers from Mecca.
From Jeddah to the holy cities, a high-speed rail line has been laid, with its help you can reach Medina in two and a half hours and Mecca in less than half an hour.
There are convenient road and rail connections between the cities of Saudi Arabia, and at every station or bus station you will certainly be shown where Mecca is and how to get there.
However, not all pilgrims prefer to use modern modes of transport. Until now, there are cases when people went to the Hajj on foot, as in the old days.
Thus, all true Muslims know perfectly well where Mecca is, no matter what country they live in. And for representatives of all other faiths, there is one very simple way to find out. Just look at any mosque, in any city in the world: its mihrab will definitely be directed in the direction where Mecca is located.
