Where is Mecca located? Whatever country a Muslim is in, he asks this question first. The fact is that every person who professes Islam, when performing daily prayers, is obliged to turn his face towards 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 coast of the Red Sea. Today the city belongs to Saudi Arabia and is the capital of the province of Hijaz.
All 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 may exceed the mark of 50 ° C. Precipitation falls only from December to April, and all other months of the year there is stifling heat.
Mecca is a sacred city for Muslims, and the entry of Gentiles into it is strictly prohibited by the laws of Saudi Arabia.
Mecca's story
It is a mistake to believe that the rise of Mecca began only with the rise of Islam. Since time immemorial, all pagan tribes inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula knew perfectly well where the city of Mecca is located. Here was located 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 legend, not far from the city there is the grave of Adam and Eve.
Since the 6th century, trade in spices has flourished in Mecca and, in addition to numerous pilgrims, merchants from all corners of the globe 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, located near the city, the future Prophet grazed his sheep and goats, and later loved to retire here for reflection in solitude. During such lonely vigils, his famous revelations began to appear to Muhammad.
The subsequent 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.
Reserve 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 sources in 638. During its existence, it was repeatedly rebuilt.
The last significant reconstruction was carried out in the 16th century. Then the seventh minaret was attached to the building. The fact is that at that time the famous Blue Mosque was erected in Istanbul , which also had six minarets. Imam Mecca considered this a blasphemy. He ordered to add another minaret to the main mosque, so that not a single mosque in the world could surpass the main one in their number.
The gates of the building are decorated with gold and ebony, and the courtyard is surrounded on all sides by an elegant marble colonnade with lancet arches.
The mosque in Mecca is amazing in its size. It is so huge that for the convenience of moving people today, there are even escalators in it.
In the center of Masjid al-Haram, there is a building, which is the main goal of all pilgrims.
Kaaba
It is difficult to say where the name of this unusual building came from. Many experts are sure that this ancient name is a derivative of the word “cube”. There are other names. Most often, the Kaaba is called Bait al-Haram, which means "sacred house." The Kaaba became a sanctuary long before the rise of Islam. She was the center of a cult for all the scattered tribes of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Kaaba is a rectangular structure with a flat roof and a single entrance. The interior today looks like bare walls decorated with sayings from the Koran. Outside, the Kaaba is finished with smooth Meccan granite, and on top it is covered with a special richly decorated bedspread, which is updated every year.
According to legend, even in the time of Muhammad, as a result of a natural disaster, the Kaaba received severe damage, and he personally participated in the restoration of the sacred structure. This happened even before he accepted the mission of the Prophet. After the restoration of the “holy house”, another important ritual was required - to insert the famous black stone into the eastern wall of the Kaaba. A quarrel arose between the famous inhabitants of Mecca because of the one who was awarded such great honor, and as a result, they decided to entrust this right to the first who entered the gates of the mosque in the morning. Muhammad became such a person. And this, of course, was familiar from above.
Black stone
The famous black stone in Arabic is called Al-Hajar al-Aswad. It is inserted in a silver frame and mounted in one of the corners of the Kaaba. According to legend, this stone was granted by God to Adam and was originally snow-white. Over time, having absorbed human sins, he turned black.
Modern scientists claim that the stone has a cosmic origin. It was formed as a result of a collision of a meteorite with the Earth. From a geological point of view, this is foamed glass that does not sink in water. Such stones are often found on the Arabian Peninsula, in the area where Mecca is located. The largest meteorite fragment, weighing more than two tons, is now exhibited in the museum.
According to archaeologists, the sacred black stone was once split, but then assembled and inserted into a silver frame. However, scientists did not manage to thoroughly study the artifact for obvious reasons.
Muslims revere this stone as a symbol of love and boundless trust in divine wisdom. The kissing stone ritual is intended to show the humility of the believer and the vow to unquestioningly abide by all the covenants 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, the new, largest in the world complex of skyscrapers 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 managed by a municipality led by a mayor appointed by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Not far from Mecca is the huge camp of Minna, intended for the reception of pilgrims making the hajj.
Hajj
Where is Mecca, in which country? This question is asked by many faithful Muslims who are going to make the main journey in their lives.
Hajj is a great pilgrimage to holy places for Islam, involving 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 at large and in his right mind. Pilgrimage can be undertaken by women, however, they are only required to travel with a male relative or as part of a group.
During the Hajj, all pilgrims must seven times walk around the Kaaba counterclockwise and conduct some more obligatory rituals.
Several million people perform Hajj every year, which is why Mecca constantly experiences many problems associated with the placement of people and the organization of their movements around the city.
In the days of the largest influx of pilgrims in the city, accidents often occur . For example, in 1990, in a pedestrian tunnel that connects Mina and Mecca, a terrifying crush occurred. Its victims were more than one and a half thousand people.
This incident is not an isolated one, but no dangers can stop believers in their desire to visit the holy city. And therefore, to the question of where Mecca is located, in which country, any Muslim can give an answer.
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 holy mosque of the Muslim world - Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet Mosque).
It is believed that Muhammad himself took part in the construction of this mosque, and its layout served as a standard for the creation of all other Islamic temples in the world. Here, under the canopy of a large green dome, is the grave of the Prophet, and now the house in which he spent the last years of his life is part of the architectural complex of the mosque.
How to get to Mecca
Today, the best part of Saudi Arabia, where Mecca and Medina are located, is air travel. The nearest airport is located in the city of Jeddah, located a few tens of kilometers from Mecca.
A line of high-speed railway was laid from Jeddah to the holy cities, with its help you can get to the Medina in two and a half hours and in less than half an hour to Mecca.
Convenient road and rail links exist between the cities of Saudi Arabia, and at each station or bus station you will certainly be shown where Mecca is and how to get to it.
However, not all pilgrims prefer to use modern modes of transport. Cases are still known when people went on a hajj on foot, as in the old days.
Thus, all faithful Muslims know very well where Mecca is located, in whatever country they live. 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 certainly be directed in the direction where Mecca is located.