Where to Stay in Makkah, Mecca Region

What is Makkah known for?

Makkah is known as the holiest city in Islam and the site of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, the great mosque at its heart. For Muslims, it is the birthplace of the faith and of the Prophet Muhammad. Pilgrims come to the city from every part of the world.

Faith defines it. Makkah is also the capital of Mecca Province.

What are the main landmarks in Makkah?

Makkah's landmarks centre on Al-Masjid Al-Haram, the great mosque at the heart of the city and the focus of Islam. Around it stand the city's museums. The Clock Tower Museum rises in the tower complex beside the mosque, while the Al-Zaher Palace Museum and the Humane Heritage Museum hold older collections.

The Two Holy Mosques Architecture Exhibition and the Umm Al-Qura Museum trace the history of the sanctuary. All of them sit close to the mosque.

What is the history of Makkah?

Makkah stands at the origin of Islam. For Muslims, it is the birthplace of the faith and of the Prophet Muhammad, and it has drawn pilgrims for many centuries. The city grew around Al-Masjid Al-Haram, the sanctuary at its centre.

The Hejaz around it carried trade and faith together. Long a stop on the old caravan routes of the Hejaz, Makkah became the spiritual focus of a faith that spread across the world. Pilgrimage shaped it from the start.

Through the centuries, Makkah remained the destination of the pilgrimage, and rulers of the Hejaz took pride in serving it. The sanctuary of Al-Masjid Al-Haram was rebuilt and enlarged again and again over the centuries. The city became the capital of Mecca Province within Saudi Arabia.

Every generation of pilgrims has come to Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Its museums, among them the Two Holy Mosques Architecture Exhibition and the Umm Al-Qura Museum, record that long history. Makkah has changed a great deal in stone and scale.

The faith that began here reaches every continent. Its purpose has never changed. It remains the holiest city in Islam.

Where is Makkah?

Makkah lies in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, an inland city and the capital of Mecca Province, gathered in the dry country of the interior. Al-Masjid Al-Haram stands at its heart. The city is built up around and above the sanctuary.

The terrain is arid. Makkah spreads outward from Al-Masjid Al-Haram into the surrounding land of the Hejaz.

What is the climate of Makkah?

Makkah has a hot desert climate, one of the hottest of any major city. Summers are long and blazing, with fierce sun beating down over the dry land of the Hejaz for month after month. Rainfall over Makkah is scarce.

When storms do come, they arrive suddenly and pass through the dry country quickly. Winters are mild and short.

How do you get to Makkah?

Makkah is reached overland, and entry is reserved for Muslims. Non-Muslim visitors may not enter the city, so every journey here is part of the pilgrimage, and roads bring the faithful in from across Mecca Province and the wider Hejaz. Pilgrims fill the routes into Makkah.

Every road leads toward Al-Masjid Al-Haram at the centre. The city was built to receive them.