Makkah

Makkah al Mukarramah or Mecca (in full: Makkat al-Mukarramah ; Arabic: مكّة المكرمة‎) is an Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. It has a population of 1,700,000 (2008 census). The city is located 73 kilometers (45 miles) inland from Jeddah, in a narrow valley, 277 metres (910 ft) above sea level. It is located 80 Kilometers (50 miles) from the Red Sea. Historically, the city has also been called Bakkah.

The city is revered by Muslims for containing the holiest site of Islam, the Grand Mosque of Mecca. A pilgrimage to Mecca during the season of the Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a sacred duty that is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go, at least once in their lifetime. People of other faiths are forbidden from entering the city.

The English word mecca (uncapitalized), meaning "A place that is regarded as the center of an activity or interest" or "A goal to which adherents of a religious faith or practice fervently aspire." is borrowed from Mecca.