مڪه مڪرمه

مڪہ المڪرمه مكة العاصمة المقدسة (مقدس راڄڌاني) أم القرى (سڀني آبادين جي ماءُ)
بلاد
مكة المكرمة (عربي)
مسجد الحرام ۽ ڪعبه شريف جبل عرفات جبل نور منيٰ ۾ خيمن جو نظارو
مڪي صوبي جي اندر مڪه گورنريٽ (سائي رنگ ۾)
ملڪ	سعودي عرب
صوبو	مڪه صوبو
گورنريٽ	عاصمه المقدس گورنريٽ
حڪومت
• ميئر	صالح الترڪي
• صوبائي گورنر	خالد بن فيصل آل سعود
ايراضي
• ڪل	1,200 چورس ڪلوميٽر (460 چورس ميل)
• زمين	760 چورس ڪلوميٽر (290 چورس ميل)
آبادي  (2022ع آدمشماري)
• ڪل	23,85,509
• درجو	3rd in Saudi Arabia
• ڪثافت	auto في چورس ڪلوميٽر
• ميٽرو	2,427,924 (مڪه گورنريٽ)
رهاڪو نالو	Makki (مكي)
وقتي علائقو	UTC+3 (AST)
ڊائلنگ ڪوڍ	+966-12
ويب سائيٽ	hmm.gov.sa

مڪه المڪرمه (عربي: مكة المكرمة)، اسلام ۾ سڀ کان وڏو مقدس شهر ۽ عربستان ۾ سعودي عرب جي علائقي حجاز ۾ مڪه صوبي جو گاديءَ جو هنڌ آهي. هن شهر ۾ پيغمبر محمد ﷺ جي سال 572ع ۾ ولادت ٿي. هتي بيت الله، جنهن کي ڪعبه شريف ٻه سڏيو وڃي ٿو ۽ هن جي چوڌاري مسجد الحرام واقع آهي ۽ سڃي دنيا کان ايندر مسلمان هتي حج ۽ عمري لاء ايندا آهن. اهو جده، ڳاڙهي سمنڊ تي عربستان جي سڀ کان وڏي بندرگاهه، کان 70 ڪلوميٽر (43 ميل) تي اوڀر ڏانهن، هڪ تنگ وادي، "وادي بطحا" ۾ سمنڊ جي مٿاڇري کان 277 ميٽر (909 فوٽ) جي اچائي تي واقع آهي. شهر جي آبادي سال 2022ع ۾ 23,85,509 هئي. سال 2024ع تائين هن جي آبادي 30 لک کان مٿان آهي.

مڪي المڪرمه کي عام طور تي "اسلام جو مرڪز" سمجهيو ويندو آهي. اسلام ۾ مڪه المڪرمه کي پيغمبر محمد جي جنم ڀومي جي حيثيت سان عزت ڏني ويندي آهي. شهر کان ٻاهر جبل نور جي مٿان غار حرا آهي. غار حرا اهو هنڌ آهي جتي مسلمانن جو يقين آهي ته قرآن پهريون ڀيرو محمد تي نازل ٿيو هو. حج لاءِ مڪه المڪرمه وڃڻ سڀني قابل مسلمانن تي فرض آهي. مڪي جي عظيم مسجد، جنهن کي مسجد الحرام جي نالي سان سڃاتو وڃي ٿو، ڪعبه بيت الله جو گھر آهي جنهن کي مسلمان مڃيندا آهن ته ابراهيم ۽ اسماعيل تعمير ڪيو هو. اهو اسلام جو مقدس ترين مقام ۽ دنيا جي سڀني مسلمانن لاءِ نماز (نماز) جي هدايت آهي.

خطي جي اندر ۽ چوڌاري مسلمان حڪمرانن ڊگهي عرصي کان شهر کي پنهنجي قبضي ۾ رکڻ جي ڪوشش ڪئي ۽ حجاز جي اڪثر علائقي وانگر شهر ۾ ڪيتريون ئي حڪومتي تبديليون ڏٺيون آهن. شهر تازو ئي 1925ع ۾ ابن سعود ۽ سندس اتحادين پاران حجاز تي سعودي فتح ۾ فتح ڪيو ويو هو. ان کان پوءِ، مڪي ۾ سائيز ۽ انفراسٽرڪچر ۾، جديد عمارتن، جهڙوڪ ابراج البيت، دنيا جي چوٿين سڀ کان وڏي عمارت ۽ فرش جي لحاظ کان ٽئي نمبر وڏي عظيم مسجد جي مٿان، زبردست واڌ ڏٺي وئي آهي. سعودي حڪومت ڪيترن ئي تاريخي اڏاوتن ۽ آثار قديمه جي جڳهن، جهڙوڪ اجياد قلعي، جي تباهي پڻ ڪئي آهي. بهرحال ڪيتريون ئي تباهيون سرڪاري طور تي مڪي ۾ مسجد الحرام ۽ مديني ۾ مسجد نبوي جي مسلسل توسيع جو حصو آهن ۽ انهن جي معاون سهولتن کي حج ادا ڪندڙ مسلمانن جي وڌندڙ تعداد کي ترتيب ڏيڻ لاءِ، ڪوششن جو حصو آهن. غير مسلمن کي شهر ۾ داخل ٿيڻ کان سختي سان منع ڪيو ويو آهي.

سعودي حڪومت جي تحت، مڪه المڪرمه تي مڪه ريجنل ميونسپلٽي، هڪ ميونسپل ڪائونسل جيڪا 14 مقامي طور تي چونڊيل ميمبرن جي سربراهي ۾ آهي جنهن جي سربراهي ميئر، جيڪو سعودي حڪومت پاران مقرر ڪيو ويندو آهي، جي حڪومت آهي. جنوري 2022ع ۾ صالح الترڪي کي شهر جو ميئر مقرر ڪيو ويو.

مڪي جو شهر، جيڪو مڪي ۽ ان جي آس پاس جي علائقي کي شامل ڪري ٿو، مڪه صوبي جو گاديءَ جو هنڌ آهي، جنهن ۾ پاڙيسري شهر جده ۽ طائف شامل آهن، جيتوڻيڪ جده مڪي جي مقابلي ۾ آبادي ۾ تمام وڏو آهي. 16 مئي 2007ع کان مڪه صوبي جو گورنر شهزاده خالد بن فيصل آل سعود آهي.

نالو ۽ اشتقاق

مڪه المڪرمه کي ڪيترن ئي نالن سان سڏيو ويو آهي، ان جي اشتقاق ڪيترن ئي عربي لفظن وانگر غير واضح آهي. وڏي پيماني تي مڪي جو مترادف، ان ۾ واقع وادي جو ابتدائي نالو چيو ويندو آهي. ساڳئي وقت، مسلمان عالم عام طور تي ان کي شهر جي مقدس علائقي جي حوالي سان استعمال ڪندا آهن جيڪو مسجد الحرام جي فوري طور تي چوڌاري آهي ۽ ان ۾ بيت الله (ڪعبه شريف) به شامل آهي.

مڪه لاء انگريزي لفظ "Makkah" سعودي حڪومت پاران استعمال ٿيندڙ سرڪاري ترجمو آهي ۽ عربي تلفظ جي ويجهو آهي. سعودي حڪومت 1980ع جي ڏهاڪي ۾ هن کي سرڪاري اسپيلنگ طور اختيار ڪيو، پر اهو عالمي طور تي مشهور يا استعمال ٿيل نه آهي. مڪمل سرڪاري نالو مڪه المڪرمة (عربي: مكة المكرمة، لفظي طور تي عزت وارو مڪه) آهي. قرآن ۾ سورة الفتح (48)، آيت 24 ۾ شهر جي حوالي سان مڪه جو استعمال ڪيو ويو آهي.

انگريزي ۾ لفظ جو اسپيلنگ "Mecca" ڪنهن به اهڙي جڳهه جي حوالي سان استعمال ڪيو ويو آهي جتي ماڻهن جو وڏو انگ اچي ٿو ۽ ان ڪري ڪجهه انگريزي ڳالهائيندڙ مسلمان شهر لاءِ هن اسپيلنگ جي استعمال کي ناگوار سمجهن ٿا. تنهن هوندي به، اها مڪي شهر جي عربي نالي لاءِ انگريزي ترجمي جي واقف شڪل آهي.

ٽالمي پاران مڪورابا، هڪ ٻيو قديم شهر جو نالو، جيڪو عرب فيلڪس (Arabia Felix) جي اندر هو، پڻ مڪي هجڻ جو دعويٰ ڪيو ويو هو. ڪجهه مطالعي هن تعلق تي سوال اٿاريا آهن. ڪيتريون ئي تشبيهون تجويز ڪيون ويون آهن: روايتي هڪ اهو آهي ته اهو پراڻي ڏکڻ عربي جڙ M-K-R-B مان نڪتل آهي جنهن جو مطلب "مندر" آهي.

ٻيا نالا

قرآن ۾ مڪي لاءِ استعمال ٿيل هڪ ٻيو نالو 6:92 تي ام القري (أُمّ ٱلْقُرَى‎، معنيٰ "سڀني آبادين جي ماءُ") آهي. قرآن ۽ حديث ۾ هن شهر کي ڪيترائي ٻيا نالا ڏنا ويا آهن. تاريخي طور تي مڪي لاءِ استعمال ٿيندڙ هڪ ٻيو نالو تهامه آهي. هڪ اسلامي تجويز موجب، مڪي جو ٻيو نالو، فاران، پيدائش 21:21 ۾ پراڻي عهد نامي ۾ ذڪر ڪيل صحرا فاران سان هم آهنگ آهي. عرب ۽ اسلامي روايتن جو خيال آهي ته فاران جو بيابان، وسيع طور تي، تهامه ساحلي ميدان آهي ۽ اهو هنڌ جتي اسماعيل آباد ٿيو هو، اهو مڪي هو. 12هين صدي جي شامي جاگرافيدان ياقوت الحموي لکيو آهي ته فاران "هڪ عرب عبراني لفظ هو، تورات ۾ ذڪر ڪيل مڪي جي نالن مان هڪ." هو.

بڪه

قرآن سورة آل عمران، آيت 96 ۾ شهر کي بڪه جي نالي سان سڏي ٿو: "بيشڪ پهريون گھر (عبادت لاء)، جيڪو انسانن لاءِ قائم ڪيو ويو اهو بڪه ۾ هو." چيو وڃي ٿو ته هي ابراهيم جي زماني ۾ شهر جو نالو هو ۽ ان کي ٻين جي وچ ۾ بيڪه، باڪه، بڪا ۽ بڪاه جي نالي سان پڻ ترجمو ڪيو ويندو آهي. اهو قديم دنيا ۾ شهر جو نالو هو.

جاگرافي

بين الاقوامي خلائي اسٽيشن تان مڪي جو ڏيک. حرم (مسجد الحرام) مرڪز ۾ نظر اچي ٿو جڏهن ته مني جي وادي اوڀر ۾ نظر اچي ٿي.

مڪه المڪرمه حجاز جي علائقي ۾، جبلن جي 200 ڪلو ميٽر (124 ميل) ويڪري پٽي، جيڪي نفود ريگستان کي ڳاڙهي سمنڊ کان جدا ڪري ٿي، ۾ واقع آهي. شهر جده جي بندرگاهه شهر کان 70 ڪلو ميٽر (43 ميل) اوڀر ۾ ساڳئي نالي سان هڪ وادي ۾ واقع آهي. مڪي حجاز جي علائقي ۾ بلندي ۾ سڀ کان گهٽ اچي شهرن مان هڪ آهي، جيڪا سمنڊ جي مٿاڇري کان 277 ميٽر (909 فوٽ) جي اچائي تي، 21°23 اتر ويڪرائي ڦاڪ ۽ 39°51 اوڀر ڊگھائي ڦاڪ تي واقع آھي. مڪه کي 34 ضلعن ۾ ورهايو ويو آهي.

شهر حرم جي چوڌاري علائقي تي مرڪز آهي. جنهن ۾ مسجد الحرام شامل آهي. مسجد جي چوڌاري علائقو پراڻو شهر آهي، ۽ ان ۾ مڪي جو سڀ کان مشهور ضلعو، "اجياد" شامل آهي. مسجد الحرام ڏانهن ويندڙ مکيه گهٽي ابراهيم الخليل روڊ (شارع ابراهيم خليل الله) آهي، جنهن جو نالو حضرت ابراهيم عليه السلام جي نالي تي رکيو ويو آهي. مقامي پٿر مان ٺهيل روايتي ۽ تاريخي گهر، ٻه کان ٽي منزلون ڊگها اڃا تائين شهر جي مرڪزي علائقي ۾ موجود آهن. جديد هوٽلن ۽ شاپنگ ڪمپليڪس جي وچ ۾ نظر ايندا آهن. جديد مڪي جو ڪل علائقو 1,200 چورس ڪلوميٽر (460 چورس ميل) کان وڌيڪ آهي. * اوچائي: *

مڪو سمنڊ جي سطح کان 277 ميٽر (909 فوٽ) جي بلندي تي آهي. ۽ بحر احمر کان تقريبن 70 ڪلوميٽر (44 ميل) اندرئين پاسي آهي. اهو حجازي علائقي ۾ گهٽ ۾ گهٽ آهي. جيتوڻيڪ مڪي ۾ ڪجهه جبلن جي چوٽيون 1,000 ميٽر (3,300 فوٽ) جي اوچائي تائين پهچن ٿيون. * ٽپوگرافي: شهر جو مرڪز جبلن جي وچ ۾ هڪ لنگهه ۾ آهي. جنهن کي اڪثر ڪري "بطن مڪي" (مڪي جو سوراخ) سڏيو ويندو آهي. هن علائقي ۾ التنعيم جي وادي، بقيه جي وادي ۽ عبقر جي وادي شامل آهن. هي جبل واري هنڌ شهر جي جديد واڌ کي بيان ڪيو آهي.

The city centers on the al-Haram area, which contains the Masjid al-Haram. The area around the mosque is the old city and contains the most famous district of Mecca, Ajyad. The main street that runs to al-Haram is the Ibrahim al-Khalil Street, named after Ibrahim. Traditional, historical homes built of local rock, two to three stories long are still present within the city's central area, within view of modern hotels and shopping complexes. The total area of modern Mecca is over 1,200 چورس ڪلوميٽر (460 چورس ميل).

Elevation

Mecca is at an elevation of 277 m (909 ft) above sea level, and approximately 70 km (44 mi) inland from the Red Sea. It is one of the lowest in the Hejazi region, although some mountain peaks in Mecca reach 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in height.

Topography

The city center lies in a corridor between mountains, which is often called the "Hollow of Mecca." The area contains the valley of al-Taneem, the valley of Bakkah and the valley of Abqar. This mountainous location has defined the contemporary expansion of the city.

Sources of water

The mouthpiece of the well of Zamzam

Due to Mecca's climatic conditions water scarcity has been an issue throughout its history. In pre-modern Mecca, the city used a few chief sources of water. Among them were local wells, such as the Zamzam Well, that produced generally brackish water. Finding a sustainable water source to supply Mecca's permanent population and the large number of annual pilgrims was an undertaking that began in the Abbasid era under the auspices of Zubayda, the wife of the caliph Harun ar-Rashid. She donated funds for the deepening of Zamzam Well and funded a massive construction project likely costing 1.75 million gold dinars. The project encompassed the construction of an underground aqueduct from the عربي: عين حنين, romanized: ʿAyn Ḥunayn, lit. 'Spring of Hunayn' and smaller water sources in the area to Mecca in addition to the construction of a waterworks on Mount Arafat called عربي: عين زبيدة, romanized: ʿAyn Zubayda, lit. 'Spring of Zubayda' using a separate conduit to connect it to Mecca and the Masjid al-Haram. Over time however the system deteriorated and failed to fulfil its function. Thus in 1245, 1361, 1400, 1474, and 1510 different rulers invested into extensive repairs of the system. In 1525, due to the system's troubles persisting however the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent began a construction project to rebuild the aqueduct in its entirety, the project took until 1571 to be completed. Its water quality was greatly lacking during the 19th century until a restoration and cleaning project by Osman Pasha began.

Another source which sporadically provided water was rainfall which was stored by the people in small reservoirs or cisterns. According to al-Kurdī, there had been 89 floods by 1965. In the last century, the most severe flood was that of 1942. Since then, dams have been built to ameliorate this problem.

In the modern day, water treatment plants and desalination facilities have been constructed and are being constructed to provide suitable amounts of water fit for human consumption to the city.

Climate

اصل مضمون جي لاءِ ڏسو Climate of Mecca

Mecca features a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh), in three different plant hardiness zones: 10, 11 and 12. Like most Saudi Arabian cities, Mecca retains warm to hot temperatures even in winter, which can range from 19 °C (66 °F) at night to 30 °C (86 °F) in the afternoon. Summer temperatures are extremely hot and consistently break the 40 °C (104 °F) mark in the afternoon, dropping to 30 °C (86 °F) in the evening, but humidity remains relatively low, at 30–40%. Rain usually falls in Mecca in small amounts scattered between November and January, with heavy thunderstorms also common during the winter. Occasional summer rainfall in recent years has been associated with the northward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

موسمي رڪارڊ : Mecca (1991-2020)
مھينو	جنور:	فبرو:	مارچ	اپريل	مئي	جون	جولاء	آگسٽ	سيپ:	آڪٽو:	نومبر	ڊسمبر	سال
وڌ ۾ وڌ رڪارڊ°C (°F)	39.0 (102.2)	40.0 (104)	42.4 (108.3)	44.7 (112.5)	49.4 (120.9)	51.8 (125.2)	51.0 (123.8)	50.0 (122)	49.8 (121.6)	47.0 (116.6)	41.2 (106.2)	39.4 (102.9)	51.8 (125.2)
اوچي پد جي سراسري°C (°F)	30.9 (87.6)	32.6 (90.7)	35.4 (95.7)	39.0 (102.2)	42.4 (108.3)	43.9 (111)	43.2 (109.8)	42.9 (109.2)	42.9 (109.2)	40.4 (104.7)	35.6 (96.1)	32.5 (90.5)	38.48 (101.25)
روزاني سراسري°C (°F)	24.3 (75.7)	25.4 (77.7)	27.8 (82)	31.3 (88.3)	34.6 (94.3)	36.2 (97.2)	36.2 (97.2)	35.9 (96.6)	35.2 (95.4)	32.5 (90.5)	28.7 (83.7)	25.9 (78.6)	31.17 (88.1)
گھٽ پد جي سراسري°C (°F)	19.2 (66.6)	19.9 (67.8)	21.8 (71.2)	25.1 (77.2)	28.1 (82.6)	29.3 (84.7)	29.8 (85.6)	30.1 (86.2)	29.2 (84.6)	26.5 (79.7)	23.4 (74.1)	20.7 (69.3)	25.26 (77.47)
گھٽ ۾ گھٽ رڪارڊ°C (°F)	11.0 (51.8)	10.0 (50)	13.0 (55.4)	15.6 (60.1)	20.3 (68.5)	22.0 (71.6)	23.4 (74.1)	23.4 (74.1)	22.0 (71.6)	18.0 (64.4)	16.4 (61.5)	12.4 (54.3)	10.0 (50)
سراسري پرسپييئيشن mm (انچ)	20.7 (0.815)	2.5 (0.098)	5.2 (0.205)	8.3 (0.327)	2.6 (0.102)	0.0 (0)	1.4 (0.055)	5.8 (0.228)	6.3 (0.248)	14.1 (0.555)	23.2 (0.913)	24.7 (0.972)	104.6 (4.118)
سراسري مينھن (≥ 1.0 mm)	1.8	0.3	0.6	0.7	0.3	0.0	0.1	0.8	0.7	1.1	1.7	1.3	9.6
نسبتي گھم جي سراسري (%) (daily average)	58	54	48	43	36	33	34	39	45	50	58	59	46
اس جي ماھوار وقت جي سراسري	260.4	245.8	282.1	282.0	303.8	321.0	313.1	297.6	282.0	300.7	264.0	248.0	3,400.5
اس جي وقت جي روزاني سراسري	8.4	8.7	9.1	9.4	9.8	10.7	10.1	9.6	9.4	9.7	8.8	8.0	9.3
Source #1:
ذريعو #2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sunshine hours, 1986–2000)

تاريخ

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پڻ ڏسو: Prehistoric Arabia

In 2010, Mecca and the surrounding area became an important site for paleontology with respect to primate evolution, with the discovery of a Saadanius fossil. Saadanius is considered to be a primate closely related to the common ancestor of the Old World monkeys and apes. The fossil habitat, near what is now the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia, was a damp forest area between 28 million and 29 million years ago. Paleontologists involved in the research hope to find further fossils in the area.

Early history (up to 6th century CE)

پڻ ڏسو: Pre-Islamic Arabia

The early history of Mecca is still largely shrouded by a lack of clear sources. The city lies in the hinterland of the middle part of western Arabia of which there are sparse textual or archaeological sources available. This lack of knowledge is in contrast to both the northern and southern areas of western Arabia, specifically the Syro-Palestinian frontier and Yemen, where historians have various sources available such as physical remains of shrines, inscriptions, observations by Greco-Roman authors, and information collected by church historians. The area of the Hejaz that surrounds Mecca was characterized by its remote, rocky, and inhospitable nature, supporting only meagre settled populations in scattered oases and occasional stretches of fertile land. The Red Sea coast offered no easily accessible ports and the oasis dwellers and bedouins in the region were illiterate.

One study by Majied Robinson, based on early Islamic genealogical records, estimates that at the time of Muhammad the population of Mecca was around 550. Muslim scholars using traditional sources may place the number as high as 10,000.

The first clear reference to Mecca in non-Islamic literature appears in 741, long after the death of Muhammad, in the Byzantine-Arab Chronicle or Chronicle of 741. However, English writer Tom Holland claims that here the author places the region in Mesopotamia rather than the Hejaz.

Possible earlier mentions are ambiguous. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus writes about Arabia in the 1st century BCE in his work Bibliotheca Historica, describing a holy shrine: "And a temple has been set up there, which is very holy and exceedingly revered by all Arabians." Claims have been made this could be a reference to the Kaaba in Mecca. However, the geographic location Diodorus describes is located in northwest Arabia, around the area of Leuke Kome, within the former Nabataean Kingdom and the Roman province of Arabia Petraea.

Ptolemy lists the names of 50 cities in Arabia, one going by the name of Macoraba. There has been speculation since 1646 that this could be a reference to Mecca. Historically, there has been a general consensus in scholarship that Macoraba mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE is indeed Mecca, but more recently, this has been questioned. Historian Glen Bowersock favors the identity of the former, with his theory being that "Macoraba" is the word "Makkah" followed by the aggrandizing Aramaic adjective rabb (great). The Roman 4th-century historian Ammianus Marcellinus also enumerated many cities of Western Arabia, most of which can be identified. According to Bowersock, he did mention Mecca as "Geapolis" or "Hierapolis," the latter one meaning "holy city" potentially referring to the sanctuary of the Kaaba. Danish writer Patricia Crone, from the Revisionist school of Islamic studies on the other hand, writes that "the plain truth is that the name Macoraba has nothing to do with that of Mecca [...] if Ptolemy mentions Mecca at all, he calls it Moka, a town in Arabia Petraea."

Procopius' 6th century statement that the Ma'add tribe possessed the coast of western Arabia between the Ghassanids and the Himyarites of the south supports the Arabic sources tradition that associates Quraysh as a branch of the Ma'add and Muhammad as a direct descendant of Ma'add ibn Adnan.

Patricia Crone and Tom Holland has cast doubt on the claim that Mecca was a major historical trading outpost. However, other scholars such as Glen W. Bowersock disagree and assert that Mecca was a major trading outpost. Crone later on disregarded some of her theories. She argues that Meccan trade relied on skins, hides, manufactured leather goods, clarified butter, Hijazi woollens, and camels. She suggests that most of these goods were destined for the Roman army, which is known to have required colossal quantities of leather and hides for its equipment. The earliest Muslim inscriptions are from the Mecca–Taif area.

Islamic narrative

In the Islamic view, the beginnings of Mecca are attributed to the Biblical figures, Adam, Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael. It was Adam himself who built the first God's house in Mecca according to a heavenly prototype but this building was destroyed in the Noahic Flood. The civilization of Mecca is believed to have started after Ibrāhīm (Abraham) left his son Ismāʿīl (Ishmael) and wife Hājar (Hagar) in the valley at Allah's command. Some people from the Yemeni tribe of Jurhum settled with them, and Isma'il reportedly married two women, one after divorcing the first, on Ibrahim's advice. At least one man of the Jurhum helped Ismāʿīl and his father to construct or according to Islamic narratives, reconstruct, the Kaaba ('Cube'), which would have social, religious, political and historical implications for the site and region.

Muslims see the mention of a pilgrimage at the Valley of the Bakha in the Old Testament chapter Psalm 84:3–6 as a reference to Mecca, similar to the Quran at Surah 3:96 In the 'āl ʿimrān, a commentary on the Samaritan midrashic chronology of the Patriarchs, of unknown date but probably composed in the 10th century CE, it is claimed that Mecca was built by the sons of Nebaioth, the eldest son of Ismāʿīl or Ishmael.

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  Mecca mentioned in Quranic manuscript Codex Arabe 331 (Q48:24)
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  A 1787 Ottoman Turkish map of Masjid al-Haram, and related religious sites, such as Jabal al-Nour
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  The Hateem near the Kaaba where Muslims believe that Isma'il (Ishmael) and Hajar (Hagar) dwelt

Under the Quraysh

Sometime in the 5th century, the Ka'bah was a place of worship for the deities of Arabia's pagan tribes. Mecca's most important pagan deity was Hubal, which had been placed there by the ruling Quraysh tribe, and remained until the Conquest of Mecca by Muhammad. In the 5th century, the Quraish took control of Mecca, and became skilled merchants and traders. In the 6th century, they joined the lucrative spice trade, since battles elsewhere were diverting trade routes from dangerous sea routes to more secure overland routes. The Byzantine Empire had previously controlled the Red Sea, but piracy had been increasing. Another previous route that ran through the Persian Gulf via the Tigris and Euphrates rivers was also being threatened by exploitations from the Sasanian Empire, and was being disrupted by the Lakhmid kingdom, the Ghassanids, and the Roman–Persian wars. Mecca's prominence as a trading center also surpassed the cities of Petra and Palmyra. The Sassanids however did not always pose a threat to Mecca, as in 575 they protected it from a Yemeni invasion, led by its Christian leader Abraha. The tribes of southern Arabia asked the Persian king Khosrow I for aid, in response to which he came south to Arabia with foot-soldiers and a fleet of ships near Mecca.

By the middle of the 6th century, there were three major settlements in northern Arabia, all along the south-western coast that borders the Red Sea, in a habitable region between the sea and the Hejaz mountains to the east. Although the area around Mecca was completely barren, it was the wealthiest of the three settlements with abundant water from the renowned Zamzam Well and a position at the crossroads of major caravan routes.

The harsh conditions and terrain of the Arabian peninsula meant a near-constant state of conflict between the local tribes, but once a year they would declare a truce and converge upon Mecca in an annual pilgrimage. Up to the 7th century, this journey was intended for religious reasons by the pagan Arabs to pay homage to their shrine, and to drink Zamzam. However, it was also the time each year that disputes would be arbitrated, debts would be resolved, and trading would occur at Meccan fairs. These annual events gave the tribes a sense of common identity and made Mecca an important focus for the peninsula.

Year of the Elephant (570)

The "Year of the Elephant" is the name in Islamic history for the year approximately equating to 570–572, when, according to Islamic sources such as Ibn Ishaq, Abraha descended upon Mecca, riding an elephant, with a large army after building a cathedral at San'aa, named al-Qullays in honor of the Negus of Axum. It gained widespread fame, even gaining attention from the Byzantine Empire. Abraha attempted to divert the pilgrimage of the Arabs from the Ka'bah to al-Qullays, effectively converting them to Christianity. According to Islamic tradition, this was the year of Muhammad's birth. Abraha allegedly sent a messenger named Muhammad ibn Khuza'i to Mecca and Tihamah with a message that al-Qullays was both much better than other houses of worship and purer, having not been defiled by the housing of idols. When Muhammad ibn Khuza'i got as far as the land of Banu Kinana, the people of the lowland, knowing what he had come for, sent a man of Hudhayl called ʿUrwa bin Hayyad al-Milasi, who shot him with an arrow, killing him. His brother Qays who was with him, fled to Abraha and told him the news, which increased his rage and fury and he swore to raid the Kinana tribe and destroy the Ka'bah. Ibn Ishaq further states that one of the men of the Quraysh tribe was angered by this, and going to Sana'a, entering the church at night and defiling it; widely assumed to have done so by defecating in it.

Abraha marched upon the Kaaba with a large army, which included one or more war elephants, intending to demolish it. When news of the advance of his army came, the Arab tribes of Quraysh, Kinanah, Banu Khuza'ah and Hudhayl united in the defense of the Kaaba and the city. A man from the Himyarite Kingdom was sent by Abraha to advise them that Abraha only wished to demolish the Ka'bah and if they resisted, they would be crushed. Abd al-Muttalib told the Meccans to seek refuge in the hills while he and some members of the Quraysh remained within the precincts of the Kaaba. Abraha sent a dispatch inviting Abdul-Muttalib to meet with Abraha and discuss matters. When Abdul-Muttalib left the meeting he was heard saying: "The Owner of this House is its Defender, and I am sure he will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonor the servants of His House."

Abraha eventually attacked Mecca. However, the lead elephant, known as Mahmud, is said to have stopped at the boundary around Mecca and refused to enter. It has been theorized that an epidemic such as by smallpox could have caused such a failed invasion of Mecca. The reference to the story in Quran is rather short. According to the 105th Surah of the Quran, Al-Fil, the next day, a dark cloud of small birds sent by Allah appeared. The birds carried small rocks in their beaks, and bombarded the Ethiopian forces, and smashed them to a state like that of eaten straw.

Economy

پڻ ڏسو: Economy and trade of pre-Islamic Arabia

Camel caravans, said to have first been used by Muhammad's great-grandfather, were a major part of Mecca's bustling economy. Alliances were struck between the merchants in Mecca and the local nomadic tribes, who would bring goods – leather, livestock, and metals mined in the local mountains – to Mecca to be loaded on the caravans and carried to cities in Shaam and Iraq. Historical accounts also provide some indication that goods from other continents may also have flowed through Mecca. Goods from Africa and the Far East passed through en route to Syria including spices, leather, medicine, cloth, and slaves; in return Mecca received money, weapons, cereals, and wine, which in turn were distributed throughout Arabia. The Meccans signed treaties with both the Byzantines and the Bedouins, and negotiated safe passages for caravans, giving them water and pasture rights. Mecca became the center of a loose confederation of client tribes, which included those of the Banu Tamim. Other regional powers such as the Abyssinians, Ghassanids, and Lakhmids were in decline leaving Meccan trade to be the primary binding force in Arabia in the late 6th century.

Muhammad and the conquest of Mecca

اصل مضمون/مضمونن جي لاءِ ڏسو Muhammad, Conquest of Mecca, Muhammad in Mecca ۽ List of expeditions of Muhammad

Makkah Al Mukarramah Library is believed to stand on the spot where Muhammad was born, so it is also known as the Bayt al-Mawlid (House of the Birth)

Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570, and thus Islam has been inextricably linked with it ever since. He was born into the faction of Banu Hashim in the ruling tribe of Quraysh. It was in the nearby mountain cave of Hira on Jabal al-Nour that Muhammad began receiving divine revelations from God through the archangel Jibreel in 610, according to Islamic tradition. Advocating his form of Abrahamic monotheism against Meccan paganism, and after enduring persecution from the pagan tribes for 13 years, Muhammad emigrated (Hijrah) in 622 with his companions, the Muhajirun, to Yathrib (later renamed Medina). The conflict between the Quraysh and the Muslims is accepted to have begun at this point. Overall, Meccan efforts to annihilate Islam failed and proved to be costly and unsuccessful. During the Battle of the Trench in 627, the combined armies of Arabia were unable to defeat Muhammad's forces (as the trench surrounding Muhammad's forces protected them from harm and a storm was sent to breach the Quraysh tribe). In 628, Muhammad and his followers wanted to enter Mecca for pilgrimage, but were blocked by the Quraysh. Subsequently, Muslims and Meccans entered into the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya, whereby the Quraysh and their allies promised to cease fighting Muslims and their allies and pledged to permit Muslims into the city to perform the pilgrimage the following year. It was meant to be a ceasefire for 10 years; however, just two years later, the Banu Bakr, allies of the Quraish, violated the truce by slaughtering a group of the Banu Khuza'ah, allies of the Muslims. Muhammad and his companions, now 10,000 strong, marched into Mecca and conquered the city. The pagan imagery was destroyed by Muhammad's followers and the location Islamized and rededicated to the worship of Allah alone. Mecca was declared the holiest site in Islam ordaining it as the center of Muslim pilgrimage (Hajj), one of the Islamic faith's Five Pillars.

Muhammad then returned to Medina, after assigning Attab ibn Asid as governor of the city. His other activities in Arabia led to the unification of the Arabian Peninsula under the banner of Islam. Muhammad died in 632. Within the next few hundred years, the area under the banner of Islam stretched from North Africa into Asia and parts of Europe. As the Islamic realm grew, Mecca continued to attract pilgrims from all across the Muslim world and beyond, as Muslims came to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Mecca attracted a year-round population of scholars, pious Muslims who wished to live close to the Kaaba, and local inhabitants who served the pilgrims. Due to the difficulty and expense of the Hajj, pilgrims arrived by boat at Jeddah, and came overland, or joined the annual caravans from Syria or Iraq.

Medieval and pre-modern times

Mecca was never the capital of any of the Islamic states. Muslim rulers did contribute to its upkeep, such as during the reigns of 'Umar (r. 634–644) and Uthman (r. 644–656) when concerns of flooding caused the caliphs to bring in Christian engineers to build barrages in the low-lying quarters and construct dykes and embankments to protect the area around the Kaaba.

Muhammad's return to Medina shifted the focus away from Mecca and later even further away when 'Ali, the fourth caliph, took power and chose Kufa as his capital. The Umayyad Caliphate moved the capital to Damascus in Syria and the Abbasid Caliphate to Baghdad, in modern-day Iraq, which remained the center of the Islamic Empire for nearly 500 years. Mecca re-entered Islamic political history during the Second Fitna, when it was held by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr and the Zubayrids. The city was twice besieged by the Umayyads in 683 and 692, and for some time thereafter, the city figured little in politics, remaining a city of devotion and scholarship governed by various other factions. In 930, Mecca was attacked and sacked by Qarmatians, a millenarian Shi'a Isma'ili Muslim sect led by Abu Tahir al-Jannabi and centered in eastern Arabia. The Black Death pandemic hit Mecca in 1349.

Ibn Battuta's description of Mecca

One of the most famous travelers to Mecca in the 14th century was a Moroccan scholar and traveler, Ibn Battuta. In his rihla (account), he provides a vast description of the city. Around the year 1327 (729 AH), Ibn Battuta arrived at the holy city. Immediately, he says, it felt like a holy sanctuary, and thus he started the rites of the pilgrimage. He remained in Mecca for three years and left in 1330. During his second year in the holy city, he says his caravan arrived "with a great quantity of alms for the support of those who were staying in Mecca and Medina." While in Mecca, prayers were made for (not to) the King of Iraq and also for Salaheddin al-Ayyubi, Sultan of Egypt and Syria at the Ka'bah. Battuta says the Ka'bah was large, but was destroyed and rebuilt smaller than the original. According to Ibn Battuta, the original Kaaba, prior to the conquest of Makkah by the Prophet, contained images of angels and prophets including Jesus (Isa in Islamic tradition), his mother Mary (Maryam in Islamic tradition), and many others - Ibn Battuta however states these were all destroyed by the Prophet in the year of victory. Battuta describes the Ka'bah in his time as an important part of Mecca due to the fact that many people make the pilgrimage to it. Battuta describes the people of the city as being humble and kind, and also willing to give a part of everything they had to someone who had nothing. The inhabitants of Mecca and the village itself, he says, were very clean. There was also a sense of elegance to the village.

Under the Ottomans

Panorama of Mecca, 1845, from the Khalili Collection of Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage

In 1517, the Sharif of Mecca, Barakat bin Muhammad, acknowledged the supremacy of the Ottoman Caliph but retained a great degree of local autonomy. In 1803 the city was captured by the First Saudi state, which held Mecca until 1813, destroying some of the historic tombs and domes in and around the city. The Ottomans assigned the task of bringing Mecca back under Ottoman control to their powerful Khedive (viceroy) and Wali of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha. Muhammad Ali Pasha successfully returned Mecca to Ottoman control in 1813. In 1818, the Saud were defeated again but survived and founded the Second Saudi state that lasted until 1891 and led on to the present country of Saudi Arabia. In 1853, Sir Richard Francis Burton undertook the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina disguised as a Muslim. Although Burton was certainly not the first non-Muslim European to make the Hajj (Ludovico di Varthema did this in 1503), his pilgrimage remains one of the most famous and documented of modern times. Mecca was regularly hit by cholera outbreaks. Between 1830 and 1930, cholera broke out among pilgrims at Mecca 27 times.

Modern history

Mecca in 1910

Hashemite revolt and subsequent control by the Sharifate of Mecca

In World War I, the Ottoman Empire was at war with the Allies. It had successfully repulsed an attack on Istanbul in the Gallipoli campaign and on Baghdad in the Siege of Kut. The British intelligence officer T. E. Lawrence conspired with the Ottoman governor, Hussain bin Ali, the Sharif of Mecca to revolt against the Ottoman Empire and it was the first city captured by his forces in the Battle of Mecca (1916). Sharif's revolt proved a turning point of the war on the eastern front. Hussein declared a new state, the Kingdom of Hejaz, declaring himself the Sharif of the state and Mecca his capital. News reports in November 1916 via contact in Cairo with returning Hajj pilgrims, stated that with the Ottoman Turkish authorities gone, the Hajj of 1916 was free of the previous massive extortion and monetary demands made by the Turks who were agents of the Ottoman government.

Saudi conquest

Following the Capture of Mecca (1924), the Sharif of Mecca was overthrown by the Saud family, and Mecca was incorporated into Saudi Arabia. Under Saudi rule, much of the historic city has been demolished as a result of the Saudi government fearing these sites might become sites of association in worship besides Allah (shirk). The city has been expanded to include several towns previously considered to be separate from the holy city and now is just a few kilometers outside the main sites of the Hajj, Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat. Mecca is not served by any airport, due to concerns about the city's safety. It is instead served by the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah (approx. 70 km away) internationally and the Taif International Airport (approx. 120 km away) for domestic flights.

The city today is at the junction of the two most important highways in all of the Saudi Arabian highway system, Highway 40, which connects the city to Jeddah in the west and the capital, Riyadh and Dammam in the east and Highway 15, which connects it to Medina, Tabuk and onward to Jordan in the north and Abha and Jizan in the south. The Ottomans had planned to extend their railway network to the holy city, but were forced to abandon this plan due to their entry into World War I. This plan was later carried out by the Saudi government, which connected the two holy cities of Medina and Mecca with the modern Haramain High Speed Railway system which runs at 300 km/h (190 mph) and connects the two cities via Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City near Rabigh within two hours.

The haram area of Mecca, in which the entry of non-Muslims is forbidden, is much larger than that of Medina.

1979 Grand Mosque seizure

پڻ ڏسو: Grand Mosque seizure

On 20 November 1979, two hundred armed dissidents led by Juhayman al-Otaybi, seized the Grand Mosque, claiming the Saudi royal family no longer represented pure Islam and that the Masjid al-Haram and the Ka'bah, must be held by those of true faith. The rebels seized tens of thousands of pilgrims as hostages and barricaded themselves in the mosque. The siege lasted two weeks, and resulted in several hundred deaths and significant damage to the shrine, especially the Safa and Marwa gallery. A multinational force was finally able to retake the mosque from the dissidents. Since then, the Grand Mosque has been expanded several times, with many other expansions being undertaken in the present day.

Destruction of Islamic heritage sites

اصل مضمون جي لاءِ ڏسو Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia

Mecca, as seen from Jabal al-Nour. The Clock Towers is visible in the skyline.

Under Saudi rule, it has been estimated that since 1985, about 95% of Mecca's historic buildings, most over a thousand years old, have been demolished. It has been reported that there are now fewer than 20 structures remaining in Mecca that date back to the time of Muhammad. Some important buildings that have been destroyed include the house of Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, the house of Abu Bakr, Muhammad's birthplace, and the Ottoman–era Ajyad Fortress. The reason for much of the destruction of historic buildings has been for the construction of hotels, apartments, parking lots, and other infrastructure facilities for Hajj pilgrims.

Incidents during pilgrimage

اصل مضمون جي لاءِ ڏسو Incidents during the Hajj

Mecca has been the site of several incidents and failures of crowd control because of the large numbers of people who come to make the Hajj. For example, on 2 July 1990, a pilgrimage to Mecca ended in tragedy when the ventilation system failed in a crowded pedestrian tunnel and 1,426 people were either suffocated or trampled to death in a stampede. On 24 September 2015, 700 pilgrims were killed in a stampede at Mina during the stoning-the-Devil ritual at Jamarat.

2027 total solar eclipse

Mecca will experience a total solar eclipse on Monday, 2 August 2027, for a duration of 5 minutes and 8 seconds.

اسلام ۾ اهميت

مڪي شھر ۾ ڪعبةالله

هن جاء کي 7000 سال اڳ، پيغمبر ابراهيم عليه السلام پنهنجي زال، هاجره ۽ پٽ حضرت اسماعيل عليه السلام جي سڪونت لاء منتخب ڪيو ۽ هتان بيت الله شريف جي حضرت آدم واري نقش تي بيهر تعمير ڪيو، جنهن جي باري ۾ قرآن ۾ آيو آهي ته؛

"ان اول بيت وضع ..........." (القرآن، سوره ابراهيم)

هنن جاء جي ترقي ۽ خوشحالي جي دعا ڪيو، پوء هي جاء پيغمبر اسماعيل ۽ ٻئي عرب قبيلن جي آبادي سان هڪ شهر بڻجي ويو، جتي سڄي عربستان کان عرب زيارت لاء ايندا هئا. جاهليت جي زماني ۾ به ان کي وڏي حيثيت حاصل هئي. سرڪاري طور تي مڪه المڪرمه، عام طور تي مڪه (سنڌي ۾ مڪو) طور مختصر ڪيو ويندو آهي، سال 2022ع ۾ ان جي ميٽروپوليٽن جي آبادي 24 لک هئي، جيڪو رياض ۽ جده کان پوءِ سعودي عرب جو ٽيون نمبر وڏو آبادي وارو شهر آهي. تقريبن 44.5 سيڪڙو آبادي سعودي شهري آهي ۽ تقريبن 55.5 سيڪڙو ٻين مسلمان ملڪن جا پرڏيهي آهن. ذوالحج جي مهيني ۾ هر سال حج ۽ جي زيارت دوران حاجين جي اچڻ سان آبادي ٽن ڀيرا کان به وڌيڪ ٿي ويندي آهي. سال 2023ع ۾ حج ۽ عمري لاء اچڻ واري هڪ ڪروڙ اٺ لک (10.8 ملين) زائرين سان گڏ، مڪو دنيا جي 10 سڀ کان وڌيڪ دورو ڪيل شهرن مان هڪ هو.

ان جي شروعات ۾، اهو هڪ ننڍڙو ڳوٺ هو، جيڪو هڪ سڪل وادي ۾ واقع هو، جنهن جي چوڌاري جبلن سان گڏ هئا، پوء ماڻهو ان ڏانهن وڌڻ شروع ڪيو ۽ حضرت ابراهيم علیہ السلام ۽ حضرت اسماعيل علیہ السلام جي دور ۾، جڏهن حضرت ابراهيم علیہ السلام پنهنجي زال، هاجره کي ھتی ڇڏي ویا. هاجره ۽ ان جو پٽ اسماعيل اللہ جي حڪم جي تعميل ۾ هن وادي ۾ رهيا، ان دور ۾ حضرت ابراهيم عليه السلام ۽ ان جو پٽ، حضرت اسماعيل علیہ السلام هٿان ڪعبي جو بنياد رکڻ شروع ڪيو.

مڪي ۾ ڪيترائي مقدس اسلامي يادگار شامل آهن، جن مان شايد سڀ کان نمايان مسجد الحرام آهي، جيڪا مسلمانن لاءِ زمين تي مقدس ترين جڳهه آهي. ان جو سبب اهو آهي ته ان ۾ ڪعبة الله شامل آهي جيڪو نماز ۾ مسلمانن جو قبلو آهي ۽ اها پڻ انهن ٽن مسجدن مان هڪ آهي، جن ڏانهن مسلمان کي متوجه ڪيو وڃي ٿو. اهو حضرت محمد صلي الله عليه وسلم جن جي قول مطابق آهي؛

«لا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد مسجدي هذا والمسجد الحرام والمسجد الأقصى»

"ٽن مسجدن کان سواءِ سفر ۾ نه وڃو: هي مسجد (مسجد النبوي)، مسجد الحرام ۽ مسجد اقصيٰ".

ان کان علاوه، مڪو حج ۽ عمري جي موسم ۾ مسلمانن جي منزل آهي، ڇاڪاڻ ته ان ۾ اهي علائقا شامل آهن جيڪي مسلمان ان دوران ویندا آهن، جيڪي مزدلفه، مني ۽ عرفات آهن.

پڻ ڏسو

• مدينه منوره
• مڪه صوبو
• اسلام جي تاريخ

ڪتابيات

• What life was like in the lands of the prophet: Islamic world, AD 570–1405. Time-Life Books. 1999. ISBN 978-0-7835-5465-5.
• Lapidus, Ira M. (1988). A History of Islamic Societies. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-22552-6.

وڌيڪ پڙهڻ

• Bianca, Stefano (2000). "Case Study 1: The Holy Cities of Islam – The Impact of Mass Transportation and Rapid Urban Change". Urban Form in the Arab World. Zurich: ETH Zurich. ISBN 978-3-7281-1972-8. 0500282056.
• Bosworth, C. Edmund, مرتب (2007). "Mecca". Historic Cities of the Islamic World. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill.
• Dumper, Michael R. T.; Stanley, Bruce E., مرتب (2008). "Makkah". Cities of the Middle East and North Africa. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
• Rosenthal, Franz; Ibn Khaldun (1967). The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-09797-8.
• Watt, W. Montgomery. "Makka – The pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 6 June 2008
• Winder, R.B. "Makka – The Modern City." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 2008
• "Quraysh". Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia (online). 2007. 19 February 2007 تي حاصل ڪيل.

آنلائن

• Mecca Saudi Arabia, in Encyclopædia Britannica Online, by John Bagot Glubb, Assʿad Sulaiman Abdo, Swati Chopra, Darshana Das, Michael Levy, Gloria Lotha, Michael Ray, Surabhi Sinha, Noah Tesch, Amy Tikkanen, Grace Young and Adam Zeidan

ٻاهريان ڳنڍڻا

• Holy Makkah Municipality
• Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Makkahh, by Richard Burton