religious tourism: makkah saudi arabia 2012


Situated some 73 kilometres east of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, is Makkah (Mecca), Islam's holiest of cities. Immersed in Islamic heritage, tradition and worship for more than fourteen centuries, Makkah is the place where the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was born, the place where he received a message from God and the city to which he returned after his migration to Madinah in 622 AD. Although this revered place is closed to non-Muslims, it is a huge tourist draw for mil- lions every year Ñ particularly those from the Gulf region.


Today, Makkah is the holiest city on earth to Muslims around the world who turn towards this sacred site to pray five times a day. At least once in their lives, all Muslims, who are not prevented by personal cir- cumstance, must perform the 'Hajj' or pilgrimage to Makkah. Every year, the city of Makkah plays host to some two million hajjis (pilgrims) from all over the world. The Hajj pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to 12th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. In 2012, Hajj is expected to fall between October 24 to


THE KA'ABA


The Ka'aba is housed in the Holy Mosque, which, according to Islamic tradition, was built by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail under instruction from Allah. On one corner of the Ka'aba there is a Black Stone marking the starting point for the seven circumambulations of the Holy Mosque, which every Hajji must complete. Once the rituals are complete, the pilgrims then shave their heads, perform an animal sacrifice and celebrate the four-day global festival of Eid al-Adha or 'Greater Eid'. The word Ka'aba means 'cube' and it is a small, marble-lined chamber made with black basalt from the surrounding moun- tains. It is usually draped in the Kiswah, black silk decorated with gold embroidery. Inside the Ka'aba, floor and walls are marble, inlayed with tablets of Quranic inscriptions. At the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Ka'aba stood in an open space, but by 685 AD a fence had been built around it and houses standing in the immediate surround- ings were removed to create a larger area for the mosque. The expansion of the Holy Mosque has continued until recent times.


A spectacular site for all who view it,


the Makkah Royal Clock Tower announces daily prayers to the Muslim world


29, based on the sighting of the moon). While the Hajj is associated with the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the ritual of pilgrimage to Makkah is consid- ered by Muslims to stretch back to the time of Ibrahim and Isma'il, prominent figures in both Islam and Judaism. During Hajj, pilgrims join proces- sions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Makkah for the week of the Hajj and perform a series of religious rituals. During this religious celebration, each wor- shipper runs back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, throws stones in a ritual 'stoning of the devil' and walks counter-clockwise seven times about the Ka'aba, the cube-shaped build- ing which acts as the Muslim direction of prayer. In addition to Hajj, Muslim worship- pers come to Makkah throughout the year to perform Umrah and pray.


HOLY MOSQUE


The largest extension to the Holy Mosque was carried out in 1989 under the orders of King Fahd. This was a monumental under- taking as the area was well developed and regularly frequented by worshippers. The work had to be carried out with minimum disruption to the movement of pilgrims and the normal life of the Holy City of Makkah. The area designated for the expan- sion contained a number of utilities that had to be removed and placed elsewhere without interrupting supplies, disrupt- ing the commercial activities of the city or impeding the progress of pilgrims. The extension to the Holy Mosque had to be joined to the existing structure seamlessly without damaging the old structures. The addi- tions included a new gate called the King Fahd Gate and 14 additional side gates. Two new minarets were also added at this time. With this latest extension, the total floor area of the Holy Mosque has reached 366,168 square metres.


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WELL OF ZAMZAM


As grand as it is, the mosque is not the only attraction in Makkah. It sits besides the sacred Well of Zamzam, which was shown to Hagar by the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel), so that her son Ismail would not die of thirst. The well is believed to be a source of heal- ing water with its high levels of calcium and magnesium. It is possible to drink from the well and water is dispensed through coolers at various sites, including in the Holy Mosque.


JEBEL MINA


Several other sights of great signifi- cance include Jebel Mina, situated to the east of Makkah, between Alaqabah on the west and Muhassar on the east. Hajjis gather in the Mina valley to throw stones at Jamarat Al Aqaba, which is the largest of three pillars built to signify the Prophet's refusal to the devil when asked to sacrifice his son. The stone throwing is performed on the Day of Slaughtering Ñ the last day of the Hajj. This small four-kilometre- square valley, between Makkah and Arafat, is also used for accommodating hajjis.


JEBEL AL-RAHMA


Arafat is a wide levelled valley, 20 kilo- metres from Makkah, surrounded by a circle of high mountains. Mount Al-Rahma is the hill on which Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) is believed to have delivered his last sermon. More recently a staircase has been built to facilitate climbers.


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