Mecca

Mecca (Makkah) is the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. It is the destination of the Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which draws millions of Muslims annually. [1][2]

Islamic tradition holds that the Kaaba was originally built by the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail. The city was a major trading center in pre-Islamic Arabia and became the spiritual center of Islam following Muhammad's conquest of Mecca in 630 CE. [1][2]

The Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) surrounds the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure toward which Muslims worldwide orient their daily prayers. The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is obligatory for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it. [1][2]

Entry to Mecca is restricted to Muslims. The Saudi government manages Hajj logistics for approximately 2-3 million pilgrims each year. [1][4]

Mecca is the destination of the Hajj, the pilgrimage required once in a lifetime of every Muslim who is able, which gathers roughly two to three million pilgrims in a single season, as well as the year-round lesser pilgrimage, the umrah. Pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times and perform a sequence of rites over several days. [1][2][4]

The Masjid al-Haram, the largest mosque in the world, encloses the cube-shaped Kaaba toward which Muslims everywhere orient their daily prayers. Successive expansions have enlarged the sanctuary to accommodate the immense crowds of the pilgrimage. [1][2]

Islamic tradition traces the Kaaba to the prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail, and Mecca is revered as the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. Entry to the city is reserved for Muslims, and its sanctuary is the holiest place in the religion. [1][2][4]