Mecca (/ˈmɛkə/), forby spelt Makkah (occasionally Bakkah) (/ˈmakə/; Arabic:مكة Makkah an in fou: Arabic:مكّة المكرمة transliteratit Makkah Al Mukarramah [mækːæt ælmukarːamæ]) is a ceety in Saudi Arabie, an the haliest meetin site in Islam, closely follaed bi Medina.[3][4][5]

Mecca

مكة المكرمة
Makkah al-Mukarramah

Bakkah
Clockwise frae tap left: Minarets, the Kaaba, Mecca skyline, Abraj Al Bait, an Mina
Clockwise frae tap left: Minarets, the Kaaba, Mecca skyline, Abraj Al Bait, an Mina
Eik-name(s): 
Umm al-Qurā (أم القرى, "Mother of All Settlements")
Mecca is located in Saudi Arabie
Mecca
Mecca
Location o Mecca
Coordinates: 21°25′N 39°49′E / 21.417°N 39.817°E / 21.417; 39.817Coordinates: 21°25′N 39°49′E / 21.417°N 39.817°E / 21.417; 39.817
Country Saudi Arabie
RegionMakkah Region
Foondit biProphet Ismā'īl, son o Abraham (Islamic tradeetion)
Govrenment
 • MayorOsama al-Bar
 • Provincial GovrenorKhalid bin Faisal Al Saud
Area
 • City760 km2 (290 sq mi)
 • Urban
850 km2 (330 sq mi)
 • Metro
1200 km2 (500 sq mi)
Elevation
277 m (909 ft)
Population
 (2010)[2]
 • City1,675,368
 • Density2,200/km2 (5,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (AST)
Area code(s)(+966) 12
Websitewww.holymakkah.gov.sa

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.[6] 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.[7]

Etymology an uisage eedit

Mecca is the oreeginal Inglis transliteration o the Arabic an is still maist commonly uised in Inglish dictionaries,[8] bi internaitional organisations in thair Inglis leid literature[9] an in academic writin.[10][11]

Notes eedit

  1. Mecca Municipality Archived 2013-08-05 at the Wayback Machine. Holymakkah.gov.sa. Retrieved 3 Februar 2013.
  2. "Population". Statistical Yearbook 47 (2011). Central Department Of Statistics & Information. Archived frae the original on 1 December 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013. Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (help)
  3. Peters, Francis E. (1994). The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy Places. Princeton University Press. p. 206. ISBN 0-691-02619-X.
  4. Hoyle, Ben. "British architects to change the face of Mecca," The Times. November 29, 2008.
  5. Fattah, Hassan M.Islamic Pilgrims Bring Cosmopolitan Air to Unlikely City, New York Times. January 20, 2005.
  6. Mecca Archived 2009-10-28 at the Wayback Machineat Microsoft Encarta. ( 2009-11-01.
  7. A Saudi tower: Mecca versus Las Vegas: Taller, holier and even more popular than (almost) anywhere else, The Economist, dated Jun 24th 2010, Cairo.
  8. Oxford English Dictionary[deid airtin] (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.
  9. For example the United Nations website[deid airtin], the US State Department website[deid airtin] (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.
  10. Wehr, Hans: "Arabic-English Dictionary", fourth edition (compact version), page 85.
  11. Penrice, John: "A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran", page 19.

Freemit airtins eedit