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Mecca. Photo by Abdullah bin Ramazan.

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Mecca

Mecca also known as Makkah in Arabic is the holiest city in Islam and the administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia.

Located in a narrow valley about 277 meters above sea level, Mecca is 70 kilometers inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea.

After Riyadh and Jeddah, Mecca is the third-most populated city in Saudi Arabia with a population as at 2021 of 2.08 million. 

However, during the 岣�ajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dh奴l-岣�ijjah, pilgrims more than triple this number every year.

The top 10 outstanding facts about Mecca include the following.

1. Mecca Is the Holiest City in Islam

Mecca. Photo by Adiput (talk).

People in Islam believe that the first inhabitants of Mecca were the descendants of the biblical Ishmael. Ishmael was the first son of prophet Abraham of the Bible.

Muhammad, the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Qur示膩n is also closely associated with Mecca.

It is recorded that in 570 Mohammad was born in Mecca which is located in Saudi Arabia.

Strict laws are enforced and the government of Saudi Arabia forbids all non-Muslims from entering the holy city of Mecca because it鈥檚 a city of Islam

2. The World鈥檚 Largest Mosque Is in The City of Mecca

Al-Masjid AL-Haram. Photo by Ali Mansuri.

The largest mosque in the world is located in Mecca and goes by various names namely the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Al-Masjid al-岣�ar膩m and The Sacred Mosque.

The Grand Mosque of Mecca has a total of nine minarets. Its during the reign of Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab as from 634 to 644 when construction commenced on the mosque. 

Muslims also believe that the mosque was built by the prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail as a place of worship and as such the shrine predates Islam. The grand mosque is built around the Kaaba which is at the middle.

4. The Kaaba Which Muslims Face When Praying Is in Mecca

Kaaba. Photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim Facebook.

During prayer, Muslims face the direction of the Kaaba which is located near the center of the Grand Mosque of Mecca. Constructed from grey stone and marble the Kaaba is a cube-shaped structure.

The Kaaba is positioned in such a manner that the points of the compass roughly correspond with its four corners.

Inside the Kaaba, silver and gold lanterns are hang from the ceiling and the roof is supported by three pillars. A large black cloth called the kiswah is used as covering over the Kaaba for most of the year.

5. The World鈥檚 Largest Human Gathering Is Recorded in Mecca Every Year

Mecca Crowds. Photo by Najamuddin Shahwani.

Islamic religion requires that at least once in their lifetime, all devout and able Muslims must attempt a Hajj i.e. pilgrimage to the Kaaba, the 鈥淗ouse of God鈥�.

The Hajj or pilgrimage made to the city of Mecca results in the world鈥檚 largest human gathering annually.

The pilgrimage is performed by all devout and able-bodied Muslims from all countries in the world

So far, the largest gathering which took place in 2012 recorded 3,161,573 devotees to Mecca. However, on average 2,269,145 per year are expected to undertake the Hajj to Mecca

5.  The Black Stone in The Kaaba Was Initially A White Stone

Black Stone Frame. Photo by mwanasimba.

Set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, the ancient building in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, is the Black Stone which is Arabic is called al-岣�ajaru al-Aswad.

The Black Stone which essentially is a rock, is an Islamic relic revered by Muslims all over the world. 

The Black Stone dates back to the time of Adam and Eve as it is believed Adam received the stone on his fall from paradise according to Muslim tradition.

Muslims try to touch the stone and kiss it during Hajj.  It is believed that since the Black Stone has been absorbing the sins of the pilgrims who have kissed and touched it over the years, it turned black from its original color of white.

6. Mecca Is Home to The World鈥檚 Highest Prayer Room

At the top of Mecca鈥檚 Royal Clock Tower hotel is a small prayer room, called a 鈥渕usalla鈥� in Arabic. 

The prayer room is located at 500 meters away from the Kaaba and at an altitude 600 meters above ground level

Photos showing several people in a Muslim prayer room at the top of Mecca鈥檚 Royal Clock Tower hotel have been circulated by social media users in Saudi Arabia. 

The musalla is located in the crescent structure of the Royal Clock Tower hotel.

7. Mecca Is Home to The World鈥檚 Largest Clock

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca boasts the largest clock faces in the world. The Makkah Royal Clock Tower is part of the Abraj Al-Bait complex in Mecca.

The tower is the third tallest building in the world measuring 1,972-foot and was completed in 2012. 

The clock topped with an eight-story spire containing a scientific center, observation deck, and prayer center features observation decks below the 141-foot-diameter clock faces.

The clock issues a call to worship using 21,000 green and white LED lights and speakers that can be heard from over four miles away five times a day

8. Non-Muslims Are Not Permitted to Enter Mecca

Strict laws are enforced regarding people who don鈥檛 follow the Islamic faith in Mecca which is a city of Islam. The public practice of any religion other than Islam is prohibited in Mecca

There is a blanket ban on all non-Muslims from entering the holy city of Mecca by the government of Saudi Arabia

9. The Kaaba Is Covered by A large Black Cloth

The Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia is covered by a large black cloth called the kiswah.  The Kaaba is covered with the cloth on the day pilgrims leave for the plains of Mount Arafat during the Hajj every year.

 The Kaaba is draped on the 9th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah annually. The term kiswah is Arabic for 鈥減all鈥�, the cloth used over a casket in English.

The most sacred objects in Islamic art, form multiple parts of the textile covering the Kaaba.

The old kiswah is removed, cut into small pieces, and given to certain individuals, visiting foreign Muslim dignitaries and organizations every year.

Its costs about 4.5 million US dollars to make the kiswah whose embroidery contains 15 kilograms of gold threads and the cloth is made from silk fabric.

10. Mecca Is Expected to Host Over 30 Million Visitors Annually By 2030

During the year 2021, Mecca received over 8.75 million visitors with the majority coming from outside the kingdom.  The number included visitors vising to participate in Hajj and Umrah.

By the year 2030, Saudi Arabia forecasts that visitors for not only for Hajj and Umrah but also business travelers by the year 2030 will rise to 30 million annually.