Makkah (Mecca), located in western Saudi Arabia, is the holiest city in Islam and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is home to the Kaaba within Masjid al-Haram, the direction (qibla) Muslims face during prayer. Makkah is the spiritual center for over a billion Muslims, hosting the annual Hajj pilgrimage—one of Islam’s Five Pillars—as well as the Umrah, which can be performed year-round. Key religious sites include the Kaaba, the Zamzam Well, Mount Arafat, Jabal al-Nour (site of the first revelation), and Jabal Thawr.
The city is exclusively for Muslims and experiences massive seasonal population surges, especially during Hajj. In recent years, Makkah has undergone rapid modernization with infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the Grand Mosque and the Abraj Al Bait complex, which includes one of the tallest buildings in the world.