the
makkah....
 

 Makkah is the place that captures the hearts of a billion Moslems all over the globe.
  It is the place where God's will was revealed to Mohammed, (peace be upon him),
   and it is now the location of the Holy Mosque and the sacred Kabba. It is also the
      destination of millions of pilgrims and visitors and the holiest spot on earth.

 God (called Allah in Arabic) has honored it in His Holy Book (Quran), in which it is
given eleven different names, including: Makkah, Bakkah, Al-Balad Al-Amin,
Al-Balad Al-Ameen, Al-Haram Al-Amain and Um-Al-Qura. God also refers to Makkah
in several verses of the Holy Quran (also Koran) using other names, and has sworn
on its name, thus giving a unique status unrivaled by any other city in the world.

 It was also the will of God that the Holy Kabba be situated in Makkah. This divine
will has affected the building and growth of the city as it is today.

 The first Sura of the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (peace be
upon him) on the outskirts of Makkah. These revelations to the Prophet continued
later, and some verses of the Holy Quran are known as Makki, because they were
revealed in Makkah, while others were called Madani because they were revealed in
Madinah.

 It was in and around Makkah that the early Moslems launched their "Jihad" (Holy
Struggle) against polytheism, heresy and idolatry. It was here that God gave
victory to His Prophet and his fellow believers when they triumphantly entered
Makkah in the 8th year after Hijra (630 AD), ending the state of polytheism and
exalting the name of Allah, the one and only God. The idols were destroyed, God's
House was purified and Makkah became a secure and sacred city. Moslems all over
the world turn their faces in prayer five times ad day towards the Kabba in Makkah
and begin and end their pilgrimage with a "tawaf" (circumambulating) of it.

 The tale of the building of Makkah, the Holy Mosque and the Kabba is well known,
as are the events which took place in the city following the era of Abraham and
Ishmael. We will therefore begin our description of Makkah with the founding of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. When the future of the Holy City was a paramount
consideration.

 LOCATION

 Makkah is at the intersection of latitude 21 to 25 degree north and longitude 39 to
49 degrees east. It is set in a rugged landscape consisting mostly of solid granite,
with rocks sometimes reaching 300 meters (1,000 feet) above see level.

 Makkah is enclosed by the Valley of Abraham, which is surrounded by two nearby
mountain ranges to the east, west and south. The northern range comprises the
Al-Falaq and Qu'aqi'an mountains, while the southern range consists of Abu
Hudaidah mountain to the west, Kuday to the south and Abu Qubais and Khindimah
to the south-east.

 There are three main entrances to Makkah: Al-Mu'allat (also known as Al-Hujoon),
Al-Musfalah and Al-Shubaikah.

 It is generally agreed that Al-Mu'allat includes all areas which are higher than the
Holy Haram and Al-Musfalah covers all areas that are lowers.