MAKKAH CITY

[Muqeem]

Makkah Al Mukarramah is a city in Saudi Arabia, and the holiest meeting site in Islam, closely followed by Medina.

Muslim tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. In the 7th century, the Islamic prophet Muhammad proclaimed Islam in the city which was by then an important trading center. After 966, Mecca was led by local sharifs. When the authority of the Ottoman Empire in the area collapsed in 1916, the local rulers established the Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz. The Hejaz kingdom, including Mecca, was absorbed by the Saudis in 1925. In its modern period, Mecca has seen tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure.

The modern day city is the capital of Saudi Arabia's Makkah Province, in the historic Hejaz region. With a population of 1.7 million (2008), the city is located 73 km (45 mi) inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of 277 m (909 ft) above sea level.

Every year, millions of Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca walking seven times around the Kaaba and more than 13 million people visit Mecca annually.

Country - Saudi Arabia
Province - Makkah Province
Construction of Kaaba - (+2000 BCE )
Established - Prophet Ibrahim
Joined Saudi Arabia in - 1924

Government :
- Mayor - Osama Al-Bar
- Provincial Governor - Prince Khalid al Faisal.

Area :
- Urban 850 km2 (328.2 sq mi)
- Metro 1,200 km2 (463.3 sq mi)

Population (2007)
- City 1,700,000
- Density 4,200/km2 (2,625/sq mi)
- Urban 2,053,912
- Metro 2,500,000











Floods in makkah in 1941.






Boundary of Mecca.




World Largest Rehal is at the Makkah Gate on the road from Jeddah to Holy city of Makkah.























MAKKAH GRAND CORAL HOTEL


in jeddah












JABAL OMER PROJECT




NEW MAKKAH


image hosted on flickr






Makkah HILTON Hotel












image hosted on flickr














MAKKAH Dar Al Tawheed HOTEL































Riyadh to Makkah Highway







MOEVENPICK HOTEL - MECCA


Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal receives Pakistani Consul General Abdul Salik Khan at his office in Jeddah.


Jeddah-Makkah Expressway Via duct, Jeddah.


Heavy Rains in Mecca City.


















Washing Inside of Kaaba.

Mecca governor Prince Khaled al-Faisal.




Mecca Governor With CHECHNYA President RAMZAN QADRI.






With SUDAN President Omar Bashir.


Mecca Governor With U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Jeddah.




Prince khalid al faisal - Mecca State Governor.

image hosted on flickr




With SAUDI CROWN PRINCE SULTAN.


WITH CHECHNYA PRESIDENT RAMZAN QADRI.






image hosted on flickr


With Bahrain King, Saudi Crown Prince & Riyadh State Governor
image hosted on flickr








ABRAJ BAIT - 95 Floors Hotel Tower.




Dar Al Salam Hotel Mecca.




Ramada Hotel in Mecca.


image hosted on flickr


Imam of Holy Mosque - Sheikh abdurrahman sudais.








Imam of Holy Mosque - Sheikh SURAIM.














Imam of Holy Mosque - Sheikh Adel Al Kalbani.










Imam of Holy Mosque - Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid.
* Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid is also head of Saudi consultative council (Saudi Arabia Parliament).

With Abdullah GUL - Turkey Prime Minister in Riyadh.


With French President Nicolas Sarkozy.


With U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Saudi Parliament - Riyadh.








Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah performs Maghreb prayer with others at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.












Hamas Leder Khalid Micheal in Makkah.














Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh (C) prays inside the Grand Mosque.






































GRAND MOSQUE NEW PROJECTS.

[Mesch]

Thread's name should be changed to MECCA.

[Ahmad Rashid Ahmad]

Very nice pics....

Makkah is better than Mecca...

[jh1]

I agree , it's the official name here in Saudi ( Makkah Al-Mukarramah )

[JOKER07]

nice pics.
i always prefer to mention:
Makkah instead of Mecca
and Masjid instead of Mosque.

[Qatar Son 333]

Makkah for the win.

[Mesch]

What about the official name in the entire world ?
I just can't see the need for trying to change a long standing history.

Mecca is the original English transliteration of the Arabic and is still most commonly used in English dictionaries, by international organisations in their English language literature and in academic writing

Source

[Koobideh]

I got a question. Is it true that the dress code in Mecca is more liberal than the rest of Saudi Arabia? Can you just wear a normal headscarf without the abaya?

Would it be okay for women to dress like this in Mecca?



(the ones who covered their hair in this pic)




It is just that I heard from somebody that because Saudi Arabia has Muslims from all over the world and so the authorities know they shouldn't enforce Saudi values onto foreign pilgrims, and so the dress code is less strict. Is that true?

[jh1]

Originally Posted by Koobideh

I got a question. Is it true that the dress code in Mecca is more liberal than the rest of Saudi Arabia? Can you just wear a normal headscarf without the abaya?

Would it be okay for women to dress like this in Mecca?



(the ones who covered their hair in this pic)




It is just that I heard from somebody that because Saudi Arabia has Muslims from all over the world and so the authorities know they shouldn't enforce Saudi values onto foreign pilgrims, and so the dress code is less strict. Is that true?

yes it is OK , look at the pictures in this thread , Niqab or burka is not required by law in the Kingdom ( most expats here don't cover their faces , and some few saudis as well ) . but the Abaya is required for women in Saudi , although that is not the case in Makkah .
some of the female visitors and Hajij wear similar clothes to what we see in your pictures and it's regarded as normal by the authorities , but the majority of women , try to stick to less colorful clothes because they think it's more appropriate for the place and the occasion .

I hope that answers your question

[jh1]

you can say the same about the city of Mumbai in India, it used to be called "Bombay" because the british used that name since the 17th century .
but the Indians reclaimed their city's name and started calling it Mumbai since 1995 ( I think , not sure about the date ) .

"Mecca" is just a corrupted English version of "Makkah" , we should stick to the original name and that's what the government is doing .
by the way , the name Makkah is now gaining hold among other people and languages , it's just a matter of time before it's universally acknowledge as the correct name of the city .

[Mesch]

Originally Posted by jh1

you can say the same about the city of Mumbai in India, it used to be called "Bombay" because the british used that name since the 17th century .
but the Indians reclaimed their city's name and started calling it Mumbai since 1995 ( I think , not sure about the date ) .

"Mecca" is just a corrupted English version of "Makkah" , we should stick to the original name and that's what the government is doing .
by the way , the name Makkah is now gaining hold among other people and languages , it's just a matter of time before it's universally acknowledge as the correct name of the city .

Corrupted ?! lol
Mecca is the oldest English transliteration of "مكة". It is the way it was known since forever and it's the closest to the Biblical "Becca".
In pronunciation, Mecca resembles the original Arabic word more than Makkah does. Can't believe me? Ask an American or a Brit to pronounce the two words.
Arabic is a language and English is another. Why in hell do you want to mix the two? What's the point of that other than the amateurish Arab pride and ignorance of history.
I will support writing "Makkah Al-Mukarrammah" (God that's even hard to pronounce for me! An Arabic speaker!) if the Arabic language was Latinized for example but as long as it isn't, Mecca (full name should be: Holy Mecca, Honored Mecca) will have my full support and the international community's support as well.
By that same childish logic, the Arab cities of Cairo, Damascus and Bethlehem will have to be changed into Al-Kahira, Dimashq and Beit Laham. Let's also try changing Jerusalem into Al-Quds! Pfff… lol

@ Koobideh: Yes, it's true. You really should visit, it's a lovely experience.

[jh1]

Originally Posted by Mesch

Corrupted ?! lol
Mecca is the oldest English transliteration of "مكة". It is the way it was known since forever and it's the closest to the Biblical "Becca".
In pronunciation, Mecca resembles the original Arabic word more than Makkah does. Can't believe me? Ask an American or a Brit to pronounce the two words.
Arabic is a language and English is another. Why in hell do you want to mix the two? What's the point of that other than the amateurish Arab pride and ignorance of history.
I will support writing "Makkah Al-Mukarrammah" (God that's even hard to pronounce for me! An Arabic speaker!) if the Arabic language was Latinized for example but as long as it isn't, Mecca (full name should be: Holy Mecca, Honored Mecca) will have my full support and the international community's support as well.
By that same childish logic, the Arab cities of Cairo, Damascus and Bethlehem will have to be changed into Al-Kahira, Dimashq and Beit Laham. Let's also try changing Jerusalem into Al-Quds! Pfff… lol

@ Koobideh: Yes, it's true. You really should visit, it's a lovely experience.

how to pronounce Makkah in Arabic ? مَـكَّــة , right ?
even "Becca" is بَـكَّة , notice the Fatha on the مـ ? that is of course according to the Quraish dialect which we read the Quran according to today . the same can be said about Madinah , being pronounced Medina in English !

so that makes "Mecca" a Corrupted pronunciation of the original name Makkah. and I see no relevance in citing biblical sources as a prove to anything is this debate since Makkah is an arab name and the bible is not written in Arabic ! .

as for the arab cites that you've mentioned , they don't hold the same sates as Makkah and Madinah to Arabs and Muslims , so I really don't care about changing names .

[ibib]

Originally Posted by Mesch

Corrupted ?! lol
Mecca is the oldest English transliteration of "مكة". It is the way it was known since forever and it's the closest to the Biblical "Becca".
In pronunciation, Mecca resembles the original Arabic word more than Makkah does. Can't believe me? Ask an American or a Brit to pronounce the two words.
Arabic is a language and English is another. Why in hell do you want to mix the two? What's the point of that other than the amateurish Arab pride and ignorance of history.
I will support writing "Makkah Al-Mukarrammah" (God that's even hard to pronounce for me! An Arabic speaker!) if the Arabic language was Latinized for example but as long as it isn't, Mecca (full name should be: Holy Mecca, Honored Mecca) will have my full support and the international community's support as well.
By that same childish logic, the Arab cities of Cairo, Damascus and Bethlehem will have to be changed into Al-Kahira, Dimashq and Beit Laham. Let's also try changing Jerusalem into Al-Quds! Pfff… lol

@ Koobideh: Yes, it's true. You really should visit, it's a lovely experience.

The biblical "Mecca" simply means a religious destination or place of pilgramage. Nevertheless, it is totally removed from the bible and is mentioned as Paran or simply as the mountain and the framed city in the south. Today, "Mecca" is used for many purposes, well-known even for naming bars and nightclubs. It is not pronounced as "Makkah", therefore english speakers always pronounce the name of the city wrong(except lately, some started to say it right; I think because of the introduction of "Makkah"). The wide bad use of the word and the undefinite meanings attached to it necessitate forcing the correct word and pronounciation in "Makkah". As for the pronounciations of other cities or locations; they don't have any other disrespectful meanings, and Makkah is worth to be associated with everything good. When it comes to such sensetive issues like this one, it is wise to think more of the right decision and not about how english speakers may feel about it.

[gohorns]

Originally Posted by ibib

The biblical "Mecca" simply means a religious destination or place of pilgramage. Nevertheless, it is totally removed from the bible and is mentioned as Paran or simply as the mountain and the framed city in the south. Today, "Mecca" is used for many purposes, well-known even for naming bars and nightclubs. It is not pronounced as "Makkah", therefore english speakers always pronounce the name of the city wrong(except lately, some started to say it right; I think because of the introduction of "Makkah"). The wide bad use of the word and the undefinite meanings attached to it necessitate forcing the correct word and pronounciation in "Makkah". As for the pronounciations of other cities or locations; they don't have any other disrespectful meanings, and Makkah is worth to be associated with everything good. When it comes to such sensetive issues like this one, it is wise to think more of the right decision and not about how english speakers may feel about it.

Really good points. I was going to say the same thing. Mecca has negative connotations in English (as its use has been demonstrated in, but not limited to, the pictures above) so I definitely prefer Makkah.

[Muqeem]

Abraj Al Bait Towers :

Location - Makkah Near Holy Mosque, Saudi Arabia
Status - Under construction (2010)
Groundbreaking - 2004
Estimated completion - 27/December/2010
Opening - 2011
Use - Mixed use
Height - Antenna or spire 601 m (1,972 ft)
Floor count - 95

Companies :
Architect - Dar Al-Handasah
Contractor - Saudi Binladin Group

TOWERS :

1. HOTEL TOWER
a) Height - 601 m (1,972 ft)
b) Floors - 95

2. HAJAR TOWER
a) Height - 260 m (850 ft)
b) Floors - 48

3. ZAM ZAM TOWER
a) Height - 260 m (850 ft)
b) Floors - 48

4) MAQAM TOWER
a) Height - 250 m (820 ft)
b) Floors - 45

5) QIBLA TOWER
a) Height - 250 m (820 ft)
b) Floors - 45

6) MARWAH TOWER
a) Height - 240 m (790 ft)
b) Floors - 42

7) SAFA TOWER
a) Height - 240 m (790 ft)
b) Floors - 42

The Abraj Al-Bait Towers also known as the "Mecca Royal Clock Hotel Tower" is a complex under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia by the Saudi Binladin Group. Upon completion, the tallest tower in the complex would stand as the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, and the tallest and largest hotel in the world, with a planned height of 601 m (1,972 ft). Upon completion, the structure would have the largest floor area of any structure in the world with 1,500,000 m2 (16,150,000 sq ft) of floorspace. This is the same as Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates which is also under construction. It will also surpass the Emirates Park Towers in Dubai as the world's tallest hotel. It is also the second tallest building under construction. The entire project is estimated to be completed in the autumn of 2011.

The site of the complex is located across the street to the south from an entrance to the Masjid al Haram, which houses the Kaaba, the holiest site in Islam. In order to start construction, the historic Ottoman Ajyad Fortress had to be first completely demolished. To accommodate worshippers who visit the Kaaba, the Abraj Al-Bait Towers will have a large prayer room capable of holding nearly ten thousand people. The tallest tower in the complex will also contain a seven-star hotel to help provide lodging for the over five million pilgrims who travel to Mecca annually to participate in hajj.

In addition, the Abraj Al-Bait Towers will have a four-story shopping mall and a parking garage capable of holding over a thousand vehicles. Residential towers will house permanent residents while two heliports and a conference center are to accommodate business travelers. In total, up to 100,000 people could be housed inside the towers. The project will use clock faces for each side of the hotel tower. The highest residential floor will be at 450 m (1,480 ft), just below the clocks. The clock faces will be 43 × 43 m (141 × 141 ft), the largest in the world. The roof of the clocks will be 530 m (1,740 ft) above the ground, making them the world's most elevated architectural clocks. A 71 m (233 ft) tall spire will be added on top of the clock giving it a total height of 601 m (1,972 ft), which will make it the second tallest building in the world when completed.

Clock Face :

The hotel tower is topped by a four-faced clock, which is billed by Saudi Arabia as the largest clock in the world. The clock will dwarf London's Big Ben, once the largest four-faced clock in the world, as well as the current title holder, the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The dials are more than five times greater in area. Each of the clock's four faces are 151 feet in diameter and will be illuminated by 2 million LED lights, along with huge Arabic script reading: "God is Greatest." Another 21,000 white and green colored lights, fitted at the top of the clock, will flash to as far as 19 miles. The Saudi coat of arms is displayed at the center of each clock behind the dials. The clock's dials are also bigger than the current world champion at the Cevahir Mall clock in Istanbul, which has a 36 meter face set in the transparent roof of the shopping complex.



A three-month test run for the clock started on 11 August 2010 (1st Ramadhan, 1431 Hijri). Only one of the clock's four faces has so far been completed and is covered with 98 million pieces of glass mosaics. Each face will be inscribed with "God is greatest" in Arabic and fitted with thousands of colored lights. The clock will be visible from more than 16 miles (25 kilometers).

German and Swiss engineers designed the clock and according to the Ministry of Religious Endowments, the entire project will cost $800 million . The clock will run on Arabian standard time, (+3 GMT).









image hosted on flickr






image hosted on flickr


Abraj Al Bait Mall
image hosted on flickr


Tarawih in Abraj Al Bait Mall
image hosted on flickr










Fire at the Abraj Al-Bait




image hosted on flickr




image hosted on flickr

[idealclass]

Originally Posted by ibib

The biblical "Mecca" simply means a religious destination or place of pilgramage. Nevertheless, it is totally removed from the bible and is mentioned as Paran or simply as the mountain and the framed city in the south. Today, "Mecca" is used for many purposes, well-known even for naming bars and nightclubs. It is not pronounced as "Makkah", therefore english speakers always pronounce the name of the city wrong(except lately, some started to say it right; I think because of the introduction of "Makkah"). The wide bad use of the word and the undefinite meanings attached to it necessitate forcing the correct word and pronounciation in "Makkah". As for the pronounciations of other cities or locations; they don't have any other disrespectful meanings, and Makkah is worth to be associated with everything good. When it comes to such sensetive issues like this one, it is wise to think more of the right decision and not about how english speakers may feel about it.

Mecca bar is in Seattle where I live, I went in to ask them what the hell they're doing, they had no idea what Makkah is lol. So ibib is right, the word "mecca" means the place of gathering doesnt matter if its religious or not.

[DAMIMAHOM]

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[Muqeem]

PAKISTAN President General Musharraf.




Seneghal President Abdoulaye Wade.






Jordan King Abdullah.




Jordan King Abdullah with Makkah Governor.

[nickadam31]

[QUOTE=Muqeem;64000679]PAKISTAN President General Musharraf.





Nice pictures, I like these all especially Pervaiz Musharraf

[Muqeem]

hello mesch & others
in skyscrapercity.com
how to add more pages in same thread ?
what is the steps ?
pls reply.