Mecca: Difference between revisions
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{{This|the city in Saudi Arabia}} |
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{{Infobox City | |
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official_name = Makkah al-Mukarramah</br>مكة المكرمة | |
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image_skyline = Mecca skyline.jpg| |
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image_subuh = Mecca-subuh.jpg| |
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image_map = Mecca location.jpg| |
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mapsize = 250px | |
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map_caption = Location in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia| |
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subdivision_type = [[Provinces of Saudi Arabia|Province]]| |
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subdivision_name = [[Makkah Province|Makkah]]| |
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leader_title = [[Mayor]] | |
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leader_name = Usama Al-Barr | |
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area_note = | |
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area_magnitude = | |
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area_total_km2 = 26 | |
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area_land_km2 = | |
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area_water_km2 = | |
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elevation_m = 277 | |
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population_as_of = 2004 | |
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population_total = 1294168 | |
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population_density_km2 = | |
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utc_offset = +3 | |
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timezone = | |
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latd= 21|latm= 25|lats=|latNS=N | |
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longd= 39|longm= 49|longs=|longEW=E | |
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footnotes = | |
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}} |
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'''Mecca''' {{IPA2|ˈmɛkə}} or '''Makkah''' {{IPA2|ˈmækə}} (in full: '''Makkah al-Mukarramah''' {{IPA2|(Arabic) mækːæ(t) ælmʊkarˑamæ}}; {{lang-ar|مكة المكرمة}}) is a holy Islamic city in [[Saudi Arabia]]'s [[Makkah province]], in the historic [[Hejaz]] region. It has a population of 1,294,167 (2004 census). The city is located 73 [[kilometre]]s (45 [[mile]]s) inland from [[Jeddah]], in the narrow sandy Valley of [[Abraham]], 277 metres (909 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]){{Fact|date=March 2007}} above sea level. It is located 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the [[Red Sea]]. |
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The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the [[Masjid al-Haram]], and a pilgrimage that involves an extended visit to the city is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go at least once in an individual's lifetime. People of other faiths are forbidden from entering the holy city, under pain of [[death]]. |
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The [[English language|English]] word ''mecca'' (uncapitalized), meaning "a place to which many people are attracted" <ref>[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=49577&dict=CALD Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary]. Definition of ''mecca''</ref> is derived from ''Makkah''. |
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==The City== |
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Makkah is at an elevation of 277 m (910 ft.) above sea level. The city is situated between mountains, which has defined the contemporary expansion of the city. The city centers around the [[Masjid al-Haram]] (holy place of worship). The area around the mosque comprises the old city. The main avenues are Al-Mudda'ah and Sūq al-Layl to the north of the mosque, and As-Sūg as Saghīr to the south. Houses near the mosque have been razed and replaced with open spaces and wide streets. Residential complexes are more compacted in the old city than in residential areas. Traditional homes are built of local rock and are two to three stories. The city has a few slums, where poor pilgrims who were unable to finance a trip home after the [[hajj]] settled.<ref name='ebmm'>{{cite encyclopedia |
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| title =Mecca and Medina |
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| encyclopedia =Encyclopedia Britannica. Fifteenth edition |
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| volume =23 |
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| pages =698-699 |
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| publisher = |
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| date =2007 |
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| id = |
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| accessdate = }}</ref> |
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===Transportation=== |
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Transportation facilities related to the [[Hajj]] or [[Umrah]] (minor pilgrimage) are the main services available. Makkah has no airport, or rail service. Paved roads and modern [[expressways]] link Makkah with other cities in Saudi Arabia. The city has good roads. Most pilgrims access the city through the hajj terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport (JED) or the Jeddah Islamic Port both of which are in [[Jeddah]].<ref name='ebmm'/><div style="float:right;width:315px;"> |
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[[Image:Mecca-1850.jpg|thumb|Mecca in 1850]] |
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</div> |
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==People== |
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Population density in Makkah is very high. Most of the people who live in Makkah live in the old city. The city has an average of four million visitors as "pilgrims" and that is only in hajj time each year. Pilgrims also visit all year round for Umra. <ref name='ebmm'/> |
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==Government== |
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The mayor of Makkah is appointed by the king of Saudi Arabia. The current mayor of the city is Usama Al-Barr. A municipal council of fourteen locally elected members is responsible for the functioning of the municipality. |
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Makkah is also the capital of [[Makkah province]].<ref name='ebmm'/>, which also includes neighboring [[Jeddah]]. |
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The governor was Prince [[Abdul-Majid bin Abdul-Aziz]] from 2000 until his death in 2007.<ref name="mjid-obit">[[Associated Press]] (May 7, 2007). [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/world/middleeast/07abdul.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries&oref=slogin Prince Abdul-Majid, Governor of Mecca, Dies at 65.]</ref> On May 16, 2007, Prince [[Khalid al-Faisal]] was appointed as the new governor.<ref>Saudi Press Agency [http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/details.php?id=450421]</ref> |
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==History== |
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[[Image:OldmapofMecca.jpg|right|thumb|1787 Turkish map of Mecca]] |
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The [[Kaaba]], a large cubical building now surrounded by the [[Masjid al-Haram]]. According to the [[Qur'an]], the Kaaba was built by [[Ibrahim]] ([[Abraham]]) and his son Ismail ([[Ishmael]]), and has been a religious center ever since. |
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===The Black Stone=== |
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{{main|Black Stone}} |
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The '''Black Stone''' (called الحجر الأسود ''al-Hajar-ul-Aswad'' in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]) is a [[Islam|Muslim]] object of reverence, said by some to date back to the time of [[Adam and Eve]]. It is the eastern cornerstone of the [[Kaaba]] in Makkah. |
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===Well of Zamzam=== |
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{{main|Zamzam}} |
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Muslims believe that the Zamzam well was revealed to Hagar, wife of Abraham and mother of Ishmael. (Abraham is known as Ibrahim to Muslims.) She was desperately seeking water for her infant son, but could find none. Makkah is located in a hot dry valley with few other sources of water. |
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Muslims believe that the water of the [[Zamzam]] well is divinely blessed (it is believed to satisfy both hunger and thirst, and cure illness) and make every effort to drink of this water during their pilgrimage. The water is served to the public through coolers stationed throughout the [[Masjid al Haram]] in Makkah and the [[Masjid al Nabawi]] in [[Medina]]. |
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===Importance of Makkah=== |
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[[Image:Kaba.jpg|thumb|left|Picture of the Kaaba taken in 1880]] |
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Academic historians, however, state with certainty only that Makkah was a shrine and trading center for a number of generations before Prophet Muhammad . The extent of Makkan trade has been hotly debated. Some historians believe that Makkah was a waypoint on a land route from southern Arabia north to the Roman and Byzantine empires, and that Arabian and Indian Ocean spices were funneled through Makkah. Patricia Crone, in her book ''Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam'', argues that the Meccans were small merchants dealing in hides, camel butter, and the like. |
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According to the [[Qur'ān]] and Muslim traditions, the city was attacked by an [[Kingdom of Aksum|Ethiopian]] Aksumite army led by [[Abraha]] in [[570]], the year of Muhammad's birth. The attack was said to have been repelled by stones dropped by thousands of birds, followed by a plague. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} |
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Before the time of the [[Islam]]ic prophet [[Muhammad]], Makkah was under the control of the [[Banu Quraish]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |
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| title =Quraysh |
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| encyclopedia =Encyclopaedia Britannica |
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| volume =Concise edition (online) |
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| pages = |
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| publisher = |
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| date =2007 |
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| id = |
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| url = http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9062323/Quraysh |
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| accessdate = 2007-2-19 }}</ref> Muhammad, a member of the [[Banu Quraish]], exiled from the city for preaching against paganism, returned to the city in triumph in 630 and after removing the cult images from the Kaaba, dedicating it as the center of Muslim pilgrimage.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} (For further information, see the main article, [[Conquest of Mecca]].) |
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[[Image:Makkah-1910.jpg|thumb|right|View of Mecca [[1910]]]] |
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After the rise of the [[Islamic empire]], Makkah attracted pilgrims from all over the extensive empire, as well as a year-round population of scholars, pious Muslims who wished to live close to the Kaaba, and local inhabitants who served the pilgrims. Due to the difficulty and expense of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage was small compared to the millions that swell Makkah today. Pilgrims arrived by boat, at Jedda, and came overland, or joined the annual caravans from Syria or Iraq. The city was small. 18th and 19th century maps and pictures show a small walled city of mud-brick houses crowded around the mosque.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} |
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Makkah was never the capital of the Islamic empire; the first capital was [[Medina]], some 250 miles (400 km) away. The capital of the [[caliph]]ate was soon moved to [[Kufa]] by the fourth [[Caliph]] [[Ali]] and then to [[Damascus]] by the [[Ummayads]] and [[Baghdad]] by the [[Abbasids]] and then to [[Cairo]] after the [[Mongol]] invasion, and then at last to [[Constantinople]] by the [[Ottomans]]. |
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[[Image:1937mecca-makkah.jpg|thumb|left|the Kaaba , Mecca [[1937]]]] |
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Makkah re-entered Islamic political history briefly when it was held by [[Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr]], an early Muslim who opposed the [[Umayyad]] caliphs. The caliph [[Yazid I]] besieged Makkah in 683. |
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Thereafter the city figured little in politics; it was a city of devotion and scholarship. For centuries it was governed by the [[Hashemite]] [[Sharifs of Mecca]], descendants of Muhammad by his grandson [[Hassan ibn Ali]]. The Sharifs ruled on behalf of whatever caliph or Muslim ruler had declared himself the [[Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques|Guardian of the Two Shrines]]. Makkah was attacked and sacked by [[Ismaili]] Muslims in 930. In 1926, the Sharifs of Makkah were overthrown by the Saudis, and Makkah was incorporated into [[Saudi Arabia]]. |
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On [[November 20]], [[1979]] two hundred armed [[Islamist]] dissidents seized the Grand Mosque. They claimed that the Saudi royal family no longer represented pure Islam and that the mosque, and the Kaaba, must be held by those of the true faith. The rebels seized hundreds of pilgrims as hostages and barricaded themselves in the mosque. The mosque was eventually retaken, after some bloodshed, and the rebels were executed. There is a great deal of uncertainty as to what forces were involved in retaking the mosque and how the assault was carried out. (''See'': the [[Grand Mosque Seizure]] for further discussion). |
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==Current Status== |
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The city has grown substantially in the last several decades, as the convenience and affordability of [[jet aircraft|jet]] travel has increased the number of pilgrims participating in the [[Hajj]]. Thousands of Saudis are employed year-round to oversee the Hajj and staff the hotels and shops that cater to pilgrims; these workers in turn have increased the demand for housing and services. The city is now ringed by |
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freeways, and contains shopping malls and skyscrapers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article358577.ece |title= Shame of the House of Saud: Shadows over Mecca |publisher=The Independent (UK) |date=[[2006-04-19]] |accessdate=2007-05-03}}</ref> |
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[[Image:Makkeh.jpg|thumb|Mekkah on May 2007]] |
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==Non-Muslims and Makkah== |
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[[Image:Christian Bypass.jpg|thumb|right|"Non-Muslim Bypass:" Non- Muslims are not allowed to enter Mecca]] |
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Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Makkah. Road blocks are stationed along roads leading to the city, with officials conducting occasional random checks to confirm that intending visitors are legitimate pilgrims and in possession of the required documentation. The main airport has a similar security policy. While one of the purpose of these checks is to ensure that the visitor is, in fact, a Muslim, they also serve to prevent illegal immigrants including guest workers whose visas have expired or who have not attained the extra permit required to perform the pilgrimage.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} As one might expect, the existence of cities closed to non-Muslims and the mystery of the Hajj aroused intense curiosity in European travelers. A number of them disguised themselves as Muslims and entered the city of Makkah and then the Kaaba to experience the Hajj for themselves {{Fact|date=April 2007}}. The most famous account of a foreigner's journey to Makkah is ''A Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Mecca and al-Madina,'' written by Sir [[Richard Francis Burton]]. Burton traveled as a [[Qadiri]] [[Sufism|Sufi]] from Afghanistan; his name, as he signed it in Arabic below his front piece portrait for "The Jew, The Gypsy and al-Islam," was ''al-Hajj 'Abdullah''. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} |
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[[Image:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpg|right|thumb|The holy mosque centre, showing the Ka'bah after the Friday prayers]] |
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==Spelling== |
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''Mecca'' is the original English transliteration of the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] name. In the 1980s, the Saudi Arabian government and others began promoting the transliteration ''Makkah'' (in full, ''Makkah al-Mukarramah''), which more closely resembles the actual [[Arabic]] pronunciation. |
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The spelling ''Makkah'' or ''Meccah'' is not new and has always been a common alternative <ref>''Six Months in Meccah'', John Keane,Tinsley Brothers, 1881.</ref>. (In the works and letters of [[T E Lawrence]], almost every conceivable variation of the spelling appears.) |
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Some [[Muslim]]s find the spelling ''Mecca'' offensive since it is a trade name associated with gambling [http://www.meccabingo.com/], which is strictly prohibited in [[Islam]]. |
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The spelling ''Makkah'' is starting to be taken up by many organizations, including the [[United Nations]]<ref>[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_class_xrxx.asp?class_code=11 United Nations]. Typical document illustrating ''Makkah'' spelling.</</ref>, [[U.S. Department of State]]<ref>[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3584.htm U.S. Department of State] Background Note: Saudi Arabia.</ref> and the [[Foreign Office|British Foreign Office]] <ref>[http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1101396253177 British Foreign and Commonwealth Office]. Typical document illustrating ''Makkah'' spelling.</ref>, but the spelling ''Mecca'' remains in common use. |
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==Economy== |
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The Makkan economy is almost entirely dependent on money spent by people attending the [[hajj]]. The city takes in more than $100 million during the hajj. The Saudi government spends about $50 million on services for the hajj. There are some industries and factories in the city, but Makkah no longer plays a major role in Saudi Arabia's economy, which is mainly based on oil exports.<ref>''Mecca.'' World Book Encyclopedia. 2003 edition. Volume M. P.353</ref> The few industries operating in Makkah include textiles, furniture, and utensils. The majority of the economy is service oriented. Water is scarce and food must be imported.<ref name='ebmm'/> |
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==References to Makkah in ancient texts == |
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Crone, in her 1987 book, gives a precise of various Greek and Roman texts thought by some to have referred to Makkah. She argues that there is no hard evidence linking those references to the South Arabian trade to Makkah. |
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===In the Torah/Bible=== |
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{{main|Bakkah}} |
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Some Muslims{{Who|date=July 2007}} believe that Makkah is mentioned in the Jewish Torah/Christian Bible. Verse {{quran-usc|3|96}} in [[Qur'an]] also confirms that Makkah was once called "Bakkah". They claim that the word "Baca" can be found in Psalm 84:6. [http://www.renaissance.com.pk/JanIslamiShari2y5.htm] However, some non-Muslim commentators of Qur'an{{Who|date=July 2007}} do not accept that reading of Qur'an 3:96, and most modern translations of the Bible use "Valley of Weeping" instead of "Baca." In Arabic "Buka'" means weeping; for example, the famous Tabi'in, Muhammad ibn Munkadir was (due to his fear of God) nicknamed al-Bakka', which means "the one who cries much".[http://www.fethullahgulen.org/content/view/1154/3/] |
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==See also== |
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{{commonscat|Mecca}} |
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*[[Allah]] |
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*[[Allat]] |
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*[[Hajj]] |
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*[[Hejaz]] |
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*[[Hejazi Arabic|Hejazi Accent]] |
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*[[Islam]] |
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*[[Islamic architecture]] |
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*[[Jeddah]] |
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*[[List of famous mosques]] |
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*[[Manah]] |
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*[[Medina]] |
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*[[Saudi Arabia]] |
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*[[Sharif of Mecca]] |
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*[[Shia]] |
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*[[Uzza]] |
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*[[Udasis|Guru Nanak & Mecca]] |
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==References== |
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<div class="references-small"> |
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<references /> |
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</div> |
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==Further reading== |
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* {{cite book | author=Rosenthal, Franz; [[Ibn Khaldun]]| title=The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History | publisher=Princeton University Press | year=1967| id=ISBN 0-691-09797-6}} |
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* Crone, Patricia -- ''Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam'', as published in 1987 by the Princeton University Press and reprinted in 2004 by Gorgias Press. |
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==External links== |
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*{{wikitravel}} |
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*[http://www.holymakkah.gov.sa/ Holy Makkah Municipality] Official website (in Arabic) |
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*[http://www.makkah.gov.sa/english/index.php Emirate of Makkah] Official website |
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*[http://www.saudinf.com/main/a83.htm Saudi Information Resource - Holy Mecca] |
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*[http://www.insidemecca.com/ Inside Mecca DVD] National Geographic documentary about Mecca |
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*[http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/burton/richard/b97p/chapter27.html Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Meccah, by Richard Burton] |
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{{Geolinks-cityscale|21.408|39.8178}} |
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{{Saudi cities}} |
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[[Category:Geography of Saudi Arabia]] |
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[[Category:Arabic words and phrases]] |
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[[Category:Cities in Saudi Arabia]] |
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[[Category:Holy cities]] |
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[[Category:Islamic holy places]] |
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[[Category:Mecca]] |
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[[Category:Pilgrimages]] |
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[[Category:Cities of the Ottoman Empire]] |
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[[Category:Hajj]] |
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Revision as of 18:56, 6 August 2007
City of murderers!