Mecca

Islamic tradeetion attributes the beginnin o Mecca tae Ishmael's descendants. In the 7t century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the ceety whilk wis bi then an important tred center. Efter 966, Mecca wis led bi local sharifs. Whan the owerins o the Ottoman Empire in the aurie foondert in 1916, the local rulers establisht the Hashemite Kinrick o Hejaz.Mecca at Microsoft Encarta. ( 2009-11-01.  The Hejaz kinrick, includin Mecca, wis absorbit bi the Saudis in 1925. In its modren period, Mecca haes seen tremendous waxin in size an infrastructure.

The modren day ceety is the caipital o Saudi Arabie's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. Wi a population o 1.7 million (2008), the ceety is locatit 73 km (45 mi) inland frae Jeddah in a narra glen at a hicht o 277 m (909 ft) abuin sea level.

Ivery year, millions o Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage tae Mecca walkin seiven times aroond the Kaaba an mair nor 13 million fowk veisit Mecca annually.A Saudi tower: Mecca versus Las Vegas: Taller, holier and even more popular than (almost) anywhere else, The Economist, dated Jun 24th 2010, Cairo.

 Etymology an uisage 
Mecca is the oreeginal Inglis transliteration o the Arabic an is still maist commonly uised in Inglish dictionaries,Oxford English Dictionary (retrieved on 2009-09-24) indicates Mecca is the proper English language form and demonstrates the generic use of Mecca as in eg "a Mecca for holidaymakers"; there is no entry for Makkah as of 2009-09-24.  bi internaitional organisations in thair Inglis leid literatureFor example the United Nations website, the US State Department website (e.g. "The Islamic juristic school known as Salafiyyah" and the British FCO website (example only as search can not be linked); all retrieved 2009-09-24. an in academic writin.Wehr, Hans: "Arabic-English Dictionary", fourth edition (compact version), page 85.Penrice, John: "A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran", page 19.

 Notes 

 Freemit airtins 

 Mecca in 3D See POI o Mecca in 360 Pano Pics
 Holy Mecca Municipality  Offeecial wabsteid 
 Saudi Information Resource – Holy Mecca 
 Personal Narrative o a Pilgrimage tae Al Madinah an Meccah , bi Richard Burton


Category:Populatit places in Makkah Province