Page "Mecca" Paragraph 1

As the birthplace of Muhammad and a site of the composition of the Quran, Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam and a pilgrimage to it known as the Hajj is obligatory for all able Muslims.

The Hijaz was long ruled by Muhammad's descendants, the sharifs, either as independent rulers or as vassals to larger empires.

It was absorbed into Saudi Arabia in 1925.

In its modern period, Mecca has seen tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure.

Because of this, Mecca has lost many thousand-year-old buildings and archaeological sites.

Today, more than 15 million Muslims visit Mecca annually, including several million during the few days of the Hajj.

As a result, Mecca has become one of the most cosmopolitan and diverse cities in the Muslim world, although non-Muslims remain prohibited from entering the city.