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| Tip Feb 2012 |
| If you are planning driving in the highlands of Scotland during winter ask if your hired car has rear wheel drive and winter tyres fitted. |
Travel Home > Directory > Destinations > Middle East > Saudi Arabia > Mecca Makkah
Mecca. Pop. 1,700,000. Currency – Riyal. Language Arabic. Time Zone (GMT + 3 hours). Main Airport – King Abdulaziz JED (Jeddah). Climate – warm winters and very hot summers, with some rainfall between November and February. Mecca is the holiest gathering site of the Islamic religion and is home to the annual Hajj pilgrimage, currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world with over 3,000,000 million visiting pilgrims. The Hajj pilgrimage occurs from the 7th to 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, which is eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world. Consequently the Gregorian date changes each year. For example in 2007, the Hajj was from December 17–21; in 2008 from December 6–10, and in 2009 it was from November 25–29. One of the main rituals involves each pilgrim walking anti-clockwise seven times about the Ka'bah, the cube-shaped building at the center of Masjid al-Haram, the largest mosque in the world. The economy of Mecca is heavily dependent on the Hajj with income generated by transport services and accommodation for pilgrims. The city only has a small airport so most so most pilgrims come to the city via the Hajj terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport or the Jeddah Seaport, both of which are in the city of Jeddah. NOTE: Non-Muslims are strictly prohibited from entering the holy city of Mecca.
Mecca Hotels and Reservations including Hilton Hotel Makkah Intercontinental Hotel Mercure Hibatullah Hotel near al-Masjid al-Haram and the Kaaba Travel and Tourism in Mecca Saudi Arabia.
The InterContinental Dar Al Tawhid Makkah is located directly in front of the spectacular Holy Haram, giving most guests superb, uninterrupted views of the city’s religious centre. There are a number of holy shrines, including the Jannat Al Moaalah Graveyard, which are only a short walk or taxi ride away, as are the Touwah Well and the CBD Central Business District.
This is a 5 star luxury hotel, located in Makkah’s new Abraj Al Bait development. May of the rooms have excellent views of Masjid Al Haram and the Kaaba. The hotel restaurant serves a large range of international food alongside many Arabic dishes. The hotel is also within easy reach of The Holy Mosque of Masjid Al Haram.
Mecca is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion, closely followed by Madinah.[citation needed] The city is modern, cosmopolitan and while being closed to non-Muslims for religious reasons is nonetheless ethnically very diverse.
The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a moral obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God.
KAIA – King Abdulaziz International Airport (IATA: JED , ICAO: OEJN) is an aviation facility located 19 km to the north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Named after King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the airport is Saudi Arabia's third largest air facility. The main feature is the Hajj Terminal.
