Great Mosque, Mecca – Saudi Arabia

The Great Mosque at Mecca (as it is commonly known) is in the city of Makkah in western Saudi Arabia.  In the Islamic faith, it is the holiest site and a required pilgrimage for all Muslims who have the means to get there.  Mecca is so important to those who worship Islam that the word ’Mecca’ is now used metaphorically to suggest something that is fundamentally important for any group of peoples.  In reality, the Mosque at Mecca that everyone knows is really the ancient Kaaba shrine once used for pagan worship.

History

Mecca was an important city even before it housed the Great Mosque.  It was among the biggest trading cities for Arabian tribes at the time of Muhammad’s birth there circa 570 CE.  In the Islamic faith, Muhammad was a prophet invested with the charge of preaching a monotheist religion by the angel Gabriel.  He didn’t have much success at first due to the Kaaba shrine’s dominance in preaching varying gods worshipped by Arabs.  In 622 CE, he left the city for the city of Yathrib, which is now known as Medina.  After almost a decade spent consolidating his support, Muhammad returned to Mecca in 630 CE for good.  He entered the city without opposition and removed all idols from the Kaaba Shrine.  Since then, the site has been the holiest place in Islam.  Each year, approximately 3 million pilgrims flock to the site during the Hajj.