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Makkah
Holiest city in Islam and capital of Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia

Makkah

Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and is the capital of Mecca Province.

Plan a trip to Makkah→From Jeddah

Mecca is considered the birthplace of Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as being the holiest city in Islam.

Get in

Getting to Makkah

For more information on Saudi immigration regulations, please refer to the "Get in" section of the Saudi Arabia article. If you plan on visiting during the Hajj, you must apply for a Hajj visa. Since Mecca is deemed as a sacred and holy land, Mecca is a no-fly zone. There are no airports in the city, and commercial planes are strictly forbidden from flying over the city. The main gateway to Mecca is

  1. 01
    King Abdulaziz International Airport

    The airport has a dedicated Hajj terminal that is only used during the Hajj.

  2. 02
    Ta'if International Airport

    Since it is a relatively small airport, very few airlines operate at the airport.

  3. 03
    Mecca

    The Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) offers bus services to and from the city.

  4. 04
    SAPTCO Station
See

Worth seeing

As the holiest city in Islam, there are numerous attractions.

  1. 01
    Masjid

    The holiest site in Mecca and Islam is Grand Mosque.

  2. 02
    Kaaba

    At the center of the grand mosque is the Kaaba, which according to Muslim traditions was built by the Prophet Abraham and his son, the Prophet Ishmael.

  3. 03
    Maqaam-e-Ibrahim

    Next to Kaaba is a crystal dome called Maqaam-e-Ibrahim, which contains a rock that is believed to have an imprint of Abraham's foot.

  4. 04
    Al-Safa and Al-Marwah

    These were the two small hills now well transformed into long galleries which are well-constructed with marble floor and equipped with air-conditions.

  5. 05
    Cave of Hira
  6. 06
    Cave Thawr

    This is the cave in which Prophet Muhammed hid in as he made departure to Yathrib (now Medina) from Mecca while being pursued by Quraish of Mecca who were planning to harm him.

Do

Things to do

There's a lot you can do in Mecca if you plan on sticking around for long.

  1. 01
    The Kiswa Factory of the Holy Ka'aba

    The only place in Saudi Arabia where Kiswa is traditionally made to mark the beginning of Hajj.

  2. 02
    Al-Zaher Palace Museum

    The museum has an impressive collection of Islamic artifacts that all tell interesting tales of Mecca and its rich culture.

  3. 03
    The Two Holy Mosques Architecture Exhibition

    The museum aims to educate the Muslim community on the architectural designs of the two holy mosques.

  4. 04
    Clock Tower Museum

    Science museum located in the Abraj Al-Bait towers.

  5. 05
    Hussainiya Park
  6. 06
    King Abdullah Garden

    Al Mashair.

Eat

Where to eat

Being one of the most visited cities in the world, you can sample food from all over the world! There is an Al-Baik Restaurant adjacent to the Sacred Mosque. You can also try the fullset-chicken with cheap price, even cheaper than KFC.

  1. 01
    Five Guys

    Conrad Hotel, Ibrahim Al Khalil Rd, Ash Shubaikah.

  2. 02
    Faisalabad Restaurant
  3. 03
    Relish Joy of Taste
  4. 04
    Al Qasr
  5. 05
    The Oasis

    The Oasis, Jabal Omar, Ibrahim Al Khalil Street (Near Masjid Al-Haram),.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.