Why is Mecca a holy city for Muslims?
The city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia, is the holy city for Muslims (followers of Islam) because it was the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632), the founder of Islam. Muhammad lived in Mecca until he had a revelation from God, which his companions wrote down in Arabic in the Koran (also spelled Qur’an), the holy book of Islam. Muhammad made enemies among the Meccans when he told them to stop worshiping idols (images of a God, such as statues). He was then forced to flee to Medina, a city about 200 miles to the north. In 630 Muslims defeated the Meccans, who then accepted Islam as their religion and destroyed the idols they had previously worshiped. Muhammad died in Mecca two years later. In the middle of Mecca stands the Great Mosque (an Islamic temple). On the outside of the mosque is an arcade, which consists of a series of arches surrounding a large…
