Mecca, the holiest city of Muslims and the birthplace of Islam and the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), located in the Arabian Peninsula, welcomes millions of tourists from all over the world every year. This city is the holiest place for Muslims, which has other names such as Umm al-Quri and Al-Balad al-Amin. We will describe the attractions & things to do in Mecca in this article.
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Pilgrimage Places to visit in Mecca
Many Muslims of the world rush to Saudi Arabia and Mecca to see the Kaaba and other religious places. In other words, Mecca is the first destination for pilgrims in the world, which has many pilgrimage attractions.
Kaaba
The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. In the Quran, the religious book of Muslims, it is stated that the building of the Kaaba was built by one of God’s prophets named Ibrahim and his son Ismail.
Some believe that God’s house was built before Ibrahim and Adam was the first builder. A mosque called Masjid al-Haram has been built around the Kaaba. All Muslims in the world stand facing the direction of the Kaaba during prayer, and in this way, the orientation during prayer is called standing facing the Qibla.
Muslims believe that this stone building is the center of the universe, and for this reason, they say their daily prayers from anywhere in the world towards the Kaaba.
Address: Al Haram, Makkah 24231, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
Masjid Al-Haram
Masjid al-Haram or Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the Islamic world and the Qiblah of Muslims. This mosque houses the most important Muslim building (Kaaba). One of the most special mosques that you can find and see in Islamic society.
Address:Al Haram, Makkah 24231, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
Al-Jan Mosque
This mosque is the most famous and the oldest mosque of Mecca. Its location is at the bottom of Hajoun mountain towards the shrine, about fifty meters after Hajoun bridge and on the edge of Hajoun cemetery. Its assignment to the Jinn Mosque(Al-Jan Mosque) is due to its relationship with Surah Jinn (one of the surahs of the Qur’an), as if these verses were revealed in a place known as the Jinn Mosque.
Address:8464 Tariq al-Masjid al-Haram, Sulaymaniyah, Makkah 24231, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
Dhul-Halifa Mosque (Shajara Mosque)
It is located about ten kilometers outside Medina in the Abar Ali area (the wells that Hazrat Amir (AS) dug for the use of pilgrims to the house of God). This mosque is named shajara (tree) because there was a tree there during the era of the Prophet (PBUH). Under it, they put on Ihram, and the importance of this mosque is that the Messenger of God (PBUH) became Muharram there during the farewell Hajj.
Address: CG7V+F5X, Dhu al-Halifah, Al Madinah Al Manura 42393, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
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Other Places in Mecca that are worth Visiting
As a religious city, Mecca has countless mosques and places of pilgrimage, but if you think that the only attractions of Mecca are its places of pilgrimage, you are very wrong and you should definitely visit other attractions in Mecca.
- Abraj Al Bait Towers (Clock Towers)
Abraj Al-Bait Towers is a collection of skyscrapers that started operating in 2012 and includes Zamzam Tower, Hajar Tower, Maqam Tower, Qibla Tower, Marwa Tower, Safa Tower and Makkah Clock Tower. One of the tallest towers in the world, with a height of 601 meters, is located in Al-Bait Towers, and a clock with a diameter of 43 meters can be seen in its facade(5th tallest building in the world). In addition to the hotel, this complex hosts a shopping center, a museum of Islamic arts, and worship spaces such as prayer rooms. Abraaj al-Bait is located next to Masjid al-Haram.
Address: Al Malawi, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- Hira mountain and cave
This cave is also of high value for Muslims because they believe that Muhammad was chosen as a prophet in this place. Other names of this place include Jabal al-Nur, Jabal al-Qur’an and Jabal al-Islam. It is located in the northeast of Mecca, on the road that leads to Arafat, and it is located 1.5 kilometers to the right of that road. The cave is towards the north and its space can accommodate approximately five people. The height of the cave is the height of a human being. Hara Cave was the place of worship of the Messenger of God (PBUH) and he spent days of the year, especially the holy month of Ramadan, in the cave.
Address: Jabal Al Noor 4686, Makkah 24238, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
It is open 24 hours a day.
- Mecca Museum; A place to keep the most expensive and oldest things of Mecca and Medina
In this museum, many ancient objects related to Baitullah Al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabi can be seen, of which the wooden column of the Kaaba belonging to the year 65 AH is the oldest of them, which is related to the reign of Abdullah bin Zubair.
This wooden pillar, which is now more than 1360 years old, was located inside the Kaaba and was installed on a stone base so that humidity and other things would not damage it.
The old pulpit door of Al-Nabi Mosque, which belongs to the year 968 AH, is also one of the oldest works of this museum.
Address: Makkah Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah Road, Al-Zaher, Makkah 24222, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
- Mina
It is a valley with a width of approximately seven hundred meters and a length of two and a half kilometers. Pilgrims must stay in that place from sunrise on the 10th day to noon on the 12th day, except for the hours when they are allowed to leave. and they have also mentioned a label for each one.
- Arak Park
Path lined with palm trees, lawns, and playgrounds, plus a view of the minaret at the Ayesha Al-Rajhi Mosque. With a free parking lot it is one of the best options when you are looking for a park suitable for both parents and children.
Address: 9VMG+8HM, Al-Mashir, Makkah 24246, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
- Dar Arqam
This is the same house where the Prophet (pbuh) and the first Muslims secretly gathered at the beginning of Islam and worshiped God. Now it is part of the field that faces Safa and Marwa.
Address: 2826 Al-Binin Education Department, Al-Aziziya, Makkah 24243 8216 Al-Binin Education Department, 8216, Al-Aziziya, Makkah 24243, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
- Taneem Mosque
On the way from Mecca to Medina, there is an area called Nu’man, which is located between two mountains, Naem and Na’im, which is about two miles away from Mecca. Taneem mosque is known, it is one of the miqats of Umrah, the area of this mosque is about 1200 meters.
Address: FR92+5FF, Al-Tunaim, Makkah 24412, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
- Jarana Mosque
Another miqat of the single Umrah is the Jaarana area. On returning from the battle of Hanin, the Prophet stopped in Jaarana for about fifteen days and distributed the spoils of the war with Hawazen among the people. The current area of the mosque is 1600 square meters and its architecture is similar to Taneem
Address: Al Ju’ranah 24621, Saudi Arabia
Entry fee: Free
Best Shopping Malls in Mecca
Shopping is one of the most important parts of the trip, which makes the trip much more enjoyable. In order to make a good purchase in Mecca, you need to know the best stores in Mecca. Below, we have prepared a list of the best stores in Makkah for you:
- Mecca Mall
This market is about 9 kilometers away from the Masjid Al-Haram. All kinds of clothes and luxury goods are sold in this market. In this market, you can find mostly clothes and electronics, and the price of the goods is a little high due to their brand.
- Mecca Auction
This market is slightly older than Mecca Mall. Most pilgrims come to this market to buy souvenirs. The Mecca auction market is about 15 kilometers away from the Haram Mosque and is located on Ibrahim Al-Khalil street. In this market, you can find all kinds of fake jewelry, watches, rings, perfumes and cheap souvenirs.
The Best Time to Travel to Mecca
Makkah city is located in the desert part of Hijaz and has a hot and dry climate most of the year. The land of this city is not suitable for the cultivation of any kind of fruit, and no other tree can be found in Makkah except the date palm. The temperature difference in Makkah is very large and it may heat up to 50 degrees Celsius during the day. This city is surrounded by the Hijaz mountain range and in fact this city is like a valley in the heart of these mountains.
The weather of Makkah in summer is harsh and exhausting and makes it difficult for pilgrims to perform worship. In the winter season, the air humidity is high in the city of Makkah with heavy rains. The best time to travel to Mecca can be considered from November to the end of April. During this period, the weather in Mecca is milder and it will not bother you to visit the historical and religious places of this city.
Conclusion
When you travel to Saudi Arabia, don’t just go to Riyadh. Mecca, the holiest city of Muslims, is one of the best travel destinations in Saudi Arabia that anyone can visit and have new and enjoyable experiences. In this article, we reviewed the best things you can do in Mecca and introduced you to some other places worth visiting, now it is up to you to choose which one to visit first and which one to visit afterwards.
If you have any experience of visiting Saudi Arabia, we will be glad to hear from you. let us know in the comments.
