Mecca
Holiest city in Islam and birthplace of Muhammad.
Mecca, whose official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah, sits in a narrow valley 277 meters above sea level, about 70 kilometers inland from the Red Sea port of Jeddah. It serves as the capital of the Mecca Province in western Saudi Arabia’s Hejaz region. With a metropolitan population of 2.4 million as of 2022, it ranks as the country’s third most populous city, behind Riyadh and Jeddah. Muslims regard Mecca as the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of both the religion and the prophet Muhammad. Just outside the city, atop Jabal al-Nour, the Cave of Hira is believed to be where the Quran was first revealed to him. Inside the city stands the Great Mosque, or Masjid al-Haram, which houses the Kaaba—a structure Muslims believe was built by Abraham and Ishmael—and serves as the qibla, the direction all Muslims face during prayer. About 44.5% of residents are Saudi citizens, while 55.5% are Muslim foreigners from other countries. During the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which occurs in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul-Hijjah, the population more than triples as Muslims from around the world fulfill a lifelong obligation. In 2024, Mecca drew over 19.3 million international visitors, placing it among the five most visited cities globally.
The city’s history includes frequent changes in rule, as various Muslim leaders from the region and beyond sought control. The most recent conquest occurred in 1925, when Ibn Saud and his allies took the city during the Saudi conquest of Hejaz. Since then, Mecca has undergone massive expansion in both size and infrastructure. Modern structures like the Clock Towers—the world’s fourth-tallest building and fifth-largest by floor area—now loom over the Great Mosque. The Saudi government has also demolished numerous historical sites and archaeological landmarks, such as the Ajyad Fortress, though officials have stated these removals are part of expanding the Masjid al-Haram and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, along with their service facilities, to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. Non-Muslims are barred from entering the city.
Mecca is governed by the Mecca Regional Municipality, which includes a municipal council of 14 locally elected members led by a mayor (called Amin in Arabic) appointed by the Saudi government. As of January 2022, the mayor is Saleh Al-Turki. The City of Mecca amanah, covering Mecca and its surrounding region, also serves as the capital of the Mecca Province, which includes the larger city of Jeddah and Taif. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal has been the provincial governor since May 16, 2007.
The city’s name has many forms, and its etymology is uncertain, as is common with Arabic words. “Mecca” is widely thought to be a synonym for “Makkah,” but some believe it originally referred specifically to the valley where the city lies. Muslim scholars often use it to denote the sacred area immediately around and including the Kaaba. The Saudi government officially adopted “Makkah” as the transliteration in the 1980s, as it is closer to the Arabic pronunciation, though this spelling is not universally recognized. The full official name is Makkah al-Mukarramah, meaning “Makkah the Honored.” The Quran mentions “Makkah” in Surah Al-Fath (48), verse 24. In English, the word “Mecca” has come to mean any place that attracts large crowds, leading some English-speaking Muslims to find the spelling offensive for the city. Still, “Mecca” remains the familiar English transliteration. The ancient name “Macoraba,” which Claudius Ptolemy placed in Arabia Felix, has also been linked to Mecca, though some studies question this connection. Traditional etymology traces it to the Old South Arabian root M-K-R-B, meaning “temple.”
In the Quran, Mecca is also called Umm al-Qurā (أُمّ ٱلْقُرَى), or “Mother of all Settlements,” at verse 6:92. Other names appear in the Quran and hadith, including Tihāmah. Some Islamic sources identify Mecca with Fārān, equating it to the Desert of Paran in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 21:21). Arab and Islamic tradition holds that the wilderness of Paran broadly corresponds to the Tihamah coastal plain, where Ishmael settled—at Mecca. The 12th-century Syrian geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi described Fārān as “an Arabized Hebrew word, one of the names of Mecca mentioned in the Torah.”
The Quran also refers to the city as Bakkah in Surah Al Imran (3), verse 96: “Indeed the first House [of worship], established for mankind was that at Bakkah.” This is thought to have been the city’s name during the time of Abraham, and it appears in various transliterations such as Baca, Baka, Bakah, Bakka, Becca, and Bekka. It was used for the city in the ancient world.
In 2010, Mecca and its surroundings became significant for paleontology, particularly primate evolution, with the discovery of a Saadanius fossil. Saadanius is considered a primate closely related to the common ancestor of Old World monkeys and apes. The fossil’s habitat, near what is now the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia, was a damp forest about 28 to 29 million years ago. Researchers hope to find more fossils in the area. The early history of Mecca, up to the 6th century CE, remains largely unclear due to a lack of definitive sources.
- population_2022
- 2.4 million
- country
- Saudi Arabia
- known_for
- Holiest city in Islam; site of the Kaaba and the Hajj pilgrimage
Lore & Background
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, lies in a narrow valley inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, within the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia. Its metropolitan population reached 2.4 million in 2022, making it the third most populous city in the country, though pilgrims more than triple this number annually during the Hajj, which occurs in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah. The city is the birthplace of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to him in the Cave of Hira, located atop a mountain just outside the city. The Great Mosque, known as Masjid al-Haram, houses the Kaaba, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham and Ishmael and serves as the direction of prayer for all Muslims worldwide. Around 44.5% of residents are Saudi citizens, while 55.5% are Muslim foreigners from other countries. The city has seen numerous regime changes over centuries, most recently conquered in 1925 during the Saudi conquest of Hejaz. Since then, massive expansion has occurred, including modern structures like the Clock Towers, the world’s fourth-tallest building, towering over the mosque. The Saudi government has also demolished several historical sites, such as the Ajyad Fortress, officially to accommodate growing pilgrim numbers. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city.
Reader's Guide
Mecca's significance stems from its central role in Islam as the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad and the location of the Kaaba, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham and Ishmael. The Cave of Hira atop Jabal al-Nour just outside the city is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad. The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as Masjid al-Haram, is the focal point of the Hajj pilgrimage, an obligation for all Muslims at least once in their lives. The Saudi government has also carried out the destruction of several historical structures, such as the Ajyad Fortress, officially as part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram to accommodate increasing numbers of pilgrims. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city. The etymology of the name Mecca is obscure; the official transliteration used by the Saudi government is Makkah, adopted in the 1980s. The city has been referred to by many names, including Bakkah in the Quran, and Umm al-Qurā (Mother of all Settlements).
Did You Know?
- The Cave of Hira atop Jabal al-Nour is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad.
- The Kaaba is believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael.
- Around 55.5% of Mecca's population are Muslim foreigners from other countries.
Sacred Significance & Religious Centrality
Mecca stands as the spiritual axis of the entire Muslim world. Recognized as the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the holiest city in Islam, it anchors the faith's most fundamental practices. At its heart lies the Masjid al-Haram, the Great Mosque, which houses the Kaaba—a structure Muslims believe was constructed by Abraham and his son Ishmael. This sacred site establishes the qibla, the direction toward which every Muslim on Earth turns in prayer. Just beyond the city walls, atop Jabal al-Nour, the Cave of Hira is venerated as the location where the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad. The city's religious gravity is magnified annually during the Hajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah, an obligation every Muslim must fulfill at least once in their lifetime. During this period, the population more than triples as pilgrims flood in. Non-Muslims are strictly prohibited from entering the city, reinforcing its exclusive sacred character.
Geography & Demographics
As the capital of Mecca Province, it serves as the administrative seat for a broader area that encompasses the neighboring cities of Jeddah and Taif, despite Jeddah being considerably larger in population. Notably, the demographic makeup is striking: roughly 44.5 percent of residents are Saudi citizens, while approximately 55.5 percent are Muslim foreigners from other nations drawn to the holy city. This constant influx of pilgrims and visitors transforms the city's character seasonally, particularly during the Hajj, when the population swells to more than three times its usual size.
Modern Transformation & Governance
The Saudi government has pursued an ambitious program of expansion and modernization, erecting towering structures like The Clock Towers—the world's fourth-tallest building and fifth-largest by floor area—looming over the ancient Great Mosque. Yet this modernization has carried a cost: several historical structures and archaeological sites, including the Ajyad Fortress, have been demolished. The government has officially framed many of these demolitions as necessary components of the ongoing expansion of the Masjid al-Haram and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, along with their auxiliary service facilities, to accommodate the ever-growing number of pilgrims. Governance reflects a blend of local and central authority.
Etymology & Ancient Names
The name Mecca carries a rich and layered linguistic heritage. Its etymology remains obscure, as is common with many Arabic words, though one traditional theory traces it to the Old South Arabian root M-K-R-B, meaning "temple." The Saudi government adopted the transliteration "Makkah" as the official spelling in the 1980s, arguing it more closely mirrors the Arabic pronunciation, and the full official title is Makkah al-Mukarramah, or "Makkah the Honored." The Quran itself references the city under different names: in Surah Al-Fath it appears as Makkah, while Surah Al Imran calls it Bakkah, described as the first house of worship established for mankind in the time of Ibrahim. Another Quranic title, Umm al-Qurā, translates to "Mother of all Settlements." Historical and biblical traditions offer yet more names—Fārān, which some scholars link to the Desert of Paran in Genesis, and Tihāmah. The 12th-century geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi noted that Fārān was an Arabized Hebrew word found in the Torah. In English, "Mecca" has evolved into a metaphor for any destination drawing massive crowds, a usage some English-speaking Muslims find offensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mecca?
Mecca (Makkah al-Mukarramah) is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and serves as the capital of Mecca Province. It is widely recognized as the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad.
Why is Mecca considered the holiest city in Islam?
Muslims regard Mecca as the spiritual center of their faith because it is where Muhammad was born and where the Kaaba resides. The city also sets the qibla, the direction all Muslims face during prayer.
What is the Kaaba and where is it located?
The Kaaba is a cube-shaped structure housed inside the Great Mosque of Mecca (Masjid al-Haram). According to Islamic tradition, it was originally built by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
What is the Hajj and why does it center on Mecca?
The Hajj is the annual pilgrimage that every able Muslim is expected to perform at least once in their lifetime. It takes place in Mecca and involves rituals circling the Kaaba and other sacred sites within the city.
How large is Mecca's population?
As of 2022, Mecca has a population of approximately 2.4 million people. The city sits in Saudi Arabia and is best known as the holiest city in Islam and the site of the Kaaba and the Hajj pilgrimage.
More in Cities Starting With M 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record