Makkah is the most sacred place on earth for Muslims. It’s a city in the Tihamah plain of western Arabian Peninsula.

It lies at 70 km inland from the Red Sea in a narrow valley at a height of 277 m above sea level. According to 2012 estimates, Makkah had roughly two million people, although visitors sum more than triple this number. Based on 2017 statistics, more than 15 million Muslims visit Mecca annually.

Also, Makkah is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the site of the first revelation of the Holy Qur’an. Moreover, this holy city is the direction of Muslim prayers.

The ancient name for the site of Makkah was ‘Bakkah’. Linguistically, in the old South Arabic language, the letters b and m were interchangeable.

The Qur’an mentions this old name in the 96th verse of Surat Al’imran. While the new name Makkah was mentioned in the 24th of Surat Al-Fath.

Long History

During different eras, the Sharifs aka the descendants of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has been the independent rulers of Makkah or as vassals to larger polities. However, in modern times, Abdulaziz Ibn Saud has conquered the city in 1925 to establish a new dynasty.

Enjoy this short documentary from ‘Simply Seerah Studios’ which covers the history of Makkah.