Mecca Hotels

Hotels in the city of Mecca are often required for people who want to visit Mecca. Some may want to stay at luxury hotels or cheap hotels. Some may want to stay at hotels that have a good reputation. Some may want to stay at hotels in the city or near the city.

Hotels in Mecca are often required for tourists who require short term accommodation. Some tourists may want to see the culture, history, attractions and society of the city. Some may want to stay at large hotels or small hotels.

Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia. It is the holiest city in Islam and plays a pivotal role in Islamic practices and traditions. The Masjid al-Haram, located within the city, is the world's largest mosque. It surrounds the Kaaba, a shrine towards which all Muslims face during daily prayers. The Hajj pilgrimage, the undertaking of which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, draws almost three million pilgrims to the city a year. Non-Muslims are forbidden from entering the city by Saudi law.

Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city, by then an important trading center, and the city played an important role in the early history of Islam. After 966, Mecca was led by local sharifs, until 1924, when it came under the rule of the Saudis. In its modern period, Mecca has seen a great expansion in size and infrastructure.

Mecca is at an elevation of 277 m above sea level, and approximately 50 mi inland from the Red Sea. The city is situated between mountains, which has defined the contemporary expansion of the city. The city centers around the Masjid al-Haram area, whose altitude is lower than most of the city. The area around the mosque comprises the old city. The main avenues are Al-Mudda'ah and Su-q al-Layl to the north of the mosque, and As-Su-g Assaghi-r to the south. As the Saudis expanded the Grand Mosque in the center of the city, where there were once hundreds of houses are now replaced with wide avenues and city squares. Traditional homes are built of local rock and are generally two to three stories. The total area of Mecca metro today stands over 1,200 km2.

Central Mecca lies in a corridor between mountains, which is often called the "hollow of Mecca." Mecca's location was also important for trade, and it was the stop for important trade routes. Mecca's culture has been impacted by the large number of pilgrims that arrive annually, and thus boasts a rich cultural heritage.

The vast majority of Meccans are Sunni Muslims, with a minority of Shiite Pilgrims.

The Qur'an enjoins Muslims to face the sacred precincts of Mecca during the Salah. Initially though, the direction of the Qibla was toward the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa), Jerusalem (the First of the Two Qiblas). This tradition has roots in Muhammad's adoption of the Kaaba as a physical focus of the new Muslim community, and the direction of prayer, qibla, from the 7th century until the present day. The determination of this sacred direction gave rise to an important study in medieval Islam, distinct and separate from mainstream Islamic tradition of mathematical geography and cartography.

The cultural environment of today's Mecca has been influenced by a religious movement that began in central Arabia in the mid 18th century. This movement is commonly known as the Wahhabi movement. It has been also influenced by the Shafi`i school. Also, the conflict between liberals and religious scholars made a major impact on the Society of Mecca. Since the 7th Century , Mecca has hosted millions of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world in their way to Hajj. This merge with pilgrims has also a major impact on the society and the religion of Meccans.

Mecca houses the Masjid al-Haram, the largest mosque in the world. The mosque surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims turn towards while offering daily Salah (prayer) and considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth. The mosque is also commonly known as the Haram or Grand Mosque.

The Black Stone is a Muslim object of reverence, which according to Islamic tradition dates back to the time of Adam and Eve. It is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba, the ancient sacred stone building towards which Muslims pray, in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Stone is roughly 30 cm (12 in.) in diameter, and 1.5 meters above the ground.

Al-Masjid al-Hara-m is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Mecca, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which Muslims turn towards while offering daily prayers and is considered by Muslims as the holiest place on Earth. The mosque is also commonly known as the Grand Mosque, Haram or Haram Sharif.

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