The holy city of Mecca is the main city of Muslims around the world. People who do not profess Islam cannot get into it. Mecca has a rich and vibrant history. This is an annual pilgrimage center.
Muslim capture of Mecca
Islam appeared on the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century. The Prophet Muhammad, who was the head of the new community, united his supporters under his leadership. At first it was a small community, around which there were a variety of pagans of the east. Desert nomads worshiped idols (Christianity did not reach these places, whose centers were Byzantium and Western Europe).
The tribes are divided. With those who remained pagans, Muslims entered into a temporary peace treaty. The Arabian Peninsula was divided. Infidels did not have the right to appear in Muslim territory. However, the contract was violated, after which the Prophet Muhammad led his troops to Mecca. This happened in the year 630. The city did not resist.
Relics of the city
Here was the Kaaba, which became the main shrine of Muslims. This building in the form of a cube was created in pagan times. It is believed that it was erected by angels, so that people worship God.
The shrine was erected on a marble base. Each of its corners corresponds to one of the cardinal points. Muslims, no matter where they live, always pray in the direction of Mecca. Kaaba is made of marble, its surface is always curtained with black silk.
Caliphate Piece
The holy city was located in various states, the last of which is Saudi Arabia. Mecca was never the official capital, which did not detract from its importance.
After it was captured by Muslims in the 7th century, a huge caliphate grew around the Arabian Peninsula. He united the Arabs who Islamized the north of Africa and Spain in the west, as well as the Persians in the east.
The capital of the caliphs was first in Damascus, and then in Baghdad. Nevertheless, Mecca remained an important center of Islam. Believers came here every year to perform the Hajj. Another holy Muslim city was Medina, which is located near Mecca. It was there that Muhammad settled.
Mecca has always been in the heart of the Arab world, so it was rarely affected by political turmoil and border wars. Nevertheless, she became the object of attacks. For example, in the X century, it was sacked by Karmatians - a militarized sect. They appeared in Bahrain and did not recognize the then dynasty of caliphs - the Fatimids. The attack on Mecca in 930 was a complete surprise for many pilgrims. The attackers stole the Black Stone, which was mounted in the Kaaba (this is one of the relics of Muslims). In addition, the Karmatians staged a real massacre in the city. The artifact was returned to Mecca only twenty years later (a huge ransom was paid).
In the late Middle Ages, the plague raged here, as well as along the entire Silk Road and in Europe. The victims in Mecca were only a small part of the victims of the black death epidemic.
Under Turkish rule
By the sixteenth century, the Arabs had lost almost all the territories conquered during the Caliphate. The leading position among Muslims passed to the Turks, who in 1453 captured Constantinople - the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Of course, these Sunnis also wanted to control the holy city of Muslims.
In 1517, Mecca finally obeyed the Turks and became part of the Ottoman Empire, which stretches from the Balkans to the borders with Persia. For several centuries, pilgrims in Mecca forgot about contradictions and conflicts with their neighbors. However, the Arab national movement began to make itself felt after the Ottoman Empire was increasingly plunged into crisis. In the XIX century the city was occupied by emirs for several years.
Arabs regain the city
The final blow to Turkish rule in Mecca was dealt during the First World War. The Ottoman Empire supported Kaiser Germany. The Entente inflicted several serious defeats on her, after which the country broke up. An important role in this process was played by British citizen Thomas Lawrence. He managed to persuade the Arabian governor Hussein bin Ali to rebel against the Ottoman state. This happened in 1916. Arab rebels defeated, although the death toll in Mecca totaled thousands. So the state of Hijaz appeared, the capital of which became the holy city.
The entire Arabian Peninsula was once again ruled by Arabs, who for several decades tried to build a stable state here. It was built around the Saudi dynasty. They managed to unite disparate principalities. So in 1932, Saudi Arabia arose. Mecca has become one of its largest cities. The capital was moved to Riyadh. The city of Mecca and Medina again became peaceful. Here, as in previous times, pilgrims began to come.
Hajj to Mecca
Saudi Arabia (Mecca is the city of this country) every year receives guests from all over the world. Every Muslim should at least once in his life go to Mecca on the Hajj - a pilgrimage to holy places, including the Kaaba. All this is very closely monitored by Saudi Arabia. Mecca in the days of the Hajj is guarded with special care.
Unfortunately, even this is not enough to avoid tragedies. So, most recently, in 2015, there was a stampede that killed 2 thousand people. Such disasters happen due to too many crowds. Thousands of pilgrims go to Hajj, and they often simply do not have enough organized places. Crush in Mecca is not a rare event. Similar cases have occurred before. Under the latter, there were especially many people who died from northern Africa, which, by tradition, remains predominantly Muslim. A crush in Mecca in 2015 shocked the whole world.