Travel Guide La Mecque

Makkah al Mukkarramah, "Makkah the noble," is believed to be a place of pilgrimage long before Islam. In the first century, pilgrims from all over Arabia came here to prostrate themselves before the Kaaba. This building houses a black stone of unknown origin and composition, embedded in its wall. The tribes of ancient civilizations saw in certain desert or meteorite stones divine manifestations. Mecca is also the city founded by Ibrahim (Abraham), the biblical patriarch. It developed at the bottom of a desert valley framed by mountains rising between 500 and 900 meters above sea level. As elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, the settlement of tribes in this valley is linked to the presence of a drinking water source. The birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed, Mecca became the holiest place in Islam in 630, when the Prophet took the city back from the polytheistic tribes and imposed to turn to the Kaaba for prayer. The al-Haram Mosque was built there, becoming the beating heart of Islam and the economic heart of the city. Mecca was designated as the place to perform the great pilgrimage of hajj at least once in a lifetime. During 5 days of the last month of the lunar calendar, millions of pilgrims arrive to respect one of the 5 pillars of Islam. But the city vibrates to the rhythm of religious fervor all year long. The umra, or small pilgrimage, can take place at any time. In ancient times, the pilgrimage required a journey that could last two years, forcing the faithful to cross rough seas and desert lands, sometimes populated by hostile tribes. Now, pilgrims land in Jeddah, only 80 km away, and flock to the city on modern trains or buses. The city has a population of 2 million and is largely run by immigrants.