History of the Holy City of Makkah
The Grand Mosque
In its long history Makkah has also been known as Bakkah. In ancient times, Makkah was chiefly notable as a staging post on the trade route linking the spice producers of the east with Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. Makkah lay about midway between Marib, one of the main cities, perhaps the capital, of the kingdom of Sheba (Yemen) and Petra (in Jordan), a city founded by Nabatean Arabs around the 6th century CE and which became a thriving center with commercial interests spreading into Syria. The religious significance of Makkah was established long before Islamic times. It was in Makkah that Allah commanded Ibrahim to leave Haajar and his young son Ishmael; it was in Makkah that Allah brought forth water from the Well of Zamzam which saved the life of Ishmael and his mother and then allowed Makkah to develop as a habitable place; it was in Makkah that Allah instructed Ibrahim to build "the House of God" (the Holy Kaaba). As a result, from earliest times, Makkah became a place of pilgrimage and, although as centuries passed the pure faith of the Prophet Ibrahim became corrupted by idolatry and paganism, Makkah retained its hold on the minds of men as a place where men should worship. When Makkah came under the control of the Quraysh tribe, it was a noted trading center, a place for pilgrimage and the site of festivals chiefly remarkable for intensely fought poetry competitions and the excessive behavior of the idolators. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Makkah in 570 CE. When, following revelations, Muhammad opposed the paganism of the Makkan establishment and began to spread the word of Islam, he was forced by the Makkans to leave the city. He went to Madinah which proved more receptive to his understanding of the will of God. In 630 CE, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) returned to Makkah, taking the city without resistance and purging it of all elements of idolatry. He cleared the Kaaba of the 360 "gods" within, dedicating the Kaaba once more to the pure worship of the one and only God, and establishing Makkah as a place of pilgrimage for all Muslims. From that time, the Holy City of Makkah has been the heart of the Muslim world. It grew in importance as Islam spread and, for the most part, retained a large degree of independence. When the seat of Muslim power moved to Damascus and then later to Iraq under the Abassid Caliphate, Makkah acknowledged each in turn. In 1269 CE, the Mamluk Sultans from Egypt asserted their power over Makkah. And in 1517 CE, the Turks under the Ottomans in Constantinople held sway over the Holy City. Nevertheless, throughout these great shifts in power in the region, the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) remained the local rulers of Makkah. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed at the end of the First World War, Abdul Aziz Al Saud (Ibn Saud) came out of central Arabia, the Najd, and, armed with a deep commitment to the pure form of Islam, took control of Makkah, accepting guardianship of the Holy Sites as a prime responsibility of the Kingdom he founded, the modern state of Saudi Arabia.
Location
Makkah
Makkah is located in a valley some 277 meters (909 feet) above sea level, surrounded by the barren, arid hills of the Sirat mountains which range from 375 to 766 meters (1,000 to 2,490 feet) in height. There are four gaps in the mountains which give access to the Holy City of Makkah. The north provides access to Makkah from Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Ta'if. The north west gap provides access from Madinah. The western gap gives access from Jeddah. And the southern gap opens the way into Makkah from Yemen.
City Layout today
Roads in Makkah
At the heart of the Holy City of Makkah is the al Masjid al Haram (the Holy Mosque) which contains the Holy Kaaba (the House of God) and the Well of Zamzam. The expansion of the city has been constrained by its location between mountains to the east and west. The old city lies to the north and the southwest. In the last fifty years, there has been further enlargement by extending the city along the roads to Mina, Jeddah and Madinah. The city has also been modernized with new road networks At the same time, parts of the old city have been demolished to allow for further expansion of the Holy Mosque. It now occupies 1.7 million square meters and can accommodate 300,000 people at one time.
The People
Panoramic view of Haram in Makkah
Climate
Temperatures are high throughout the year and can reach the mid 40 degreesCelsius in the summer. Although sited well above sea level, Makkah is
set low in relation to the surrounding hills and mountains. As a result,
it is susceptible to flash floods at certain times of the year,
mainly in winter when most of the limited rain falls.
Government
Aerial view of Makkah
