ABSTRACT
A s Islam’s holiest city and the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE), Mecca’s world-historical significance is almost self-evident. It is both the historical cradle of the faith and the global Islamic community’s spiritual center of gravity. When Muslims kneel to perform their five daily prayers, it is toward Mecca that they must face. It is also the site of the annual pilgrimage, the hajj.
