Where is Mecca and why is it important?
Mecca is a city near the western coast of Saudi Arabia, approximately a 45-minute car ride east of Jeddah. Muslims believe that the prophet Abraham founded the town of Mecca when he deposited his son, Ishmael, with his mother Hagar, in what was then a desolate valley. When Ishmael grew up, Abraham came to Mecca and there they laid the foundation for and built the first house of worship dedicated to the one God. This building is the Kaaba. Muslims worldwide face toward the Kaaba when they pray. When Muslims make their pilgrimage they stop at Mecca to circumambulate the Kaaba before heading outside the city to the plain of Arafat. Mecca is the city of birth of the prophet Muhammad.
