Mecca (Civ5)/Civilopedia

As the birthplace of Mohammed and the Koran, Mecca is the holiest city of Islam and a pilgrimage (the Hajj) to it is an obligation for all Muslims. Although its founding is unknown except in myth, by the 6th Century AD it was a vital link in the spice trade, and its camel caravans made it one of the wealthiest cities in the world at the time. Mohammed was born in the city in 570, and the history of Islam has been inextricably interwoven with it since. Mohammed's march to Medina shifted the political center of the rapidly expanding Muslim kingdom to that city, but Mecca remained the center of the faith. With a growing number of scholars and faithful who wished to live close to the Kaaba, and a burgeoning class of merchants and shopkeepers to serve the needs of the pilgrims, Mecca prospered throughout the next centuries despite the rise and fall of caliphs and conquerors. In 1517 AD it became part of the Ottoman Empire; following the collapse of the Ottomans at the end of World War I, the city fell under the rule of the Saudis. Today, Mecca is home to the Masjid al-Haram, the world's largest mosque, a world-class madrasah, and numerous religious and historic sites. A pilgrimage to it remains one of Islam's Five Pillars of faith.