Mecca

For other uses, see Mecca (disambiguation).

Mecca مكة
City
Makkah al-Mukarramah مكة المكرمة
Great Mosque of Mecca The Kaaba Mount Arafat Jabal al-Nour Mina tents
Mecca Location of Mecca in Saudi Arabia Mecca Mecca (Middle East) Mecca Mecca (West and Central Asia)
Coordinates: 21°25′21″N 39°49′24″E
Country	Saudi Arabia
Province	Mecca Province
Governorate	Holy Capital Governorate
Region	Hejaz
Founded by	Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl (traditionally believed to have built The Kaaba)
Government
• Body	Mecca City Royal Commission (Upper body) Holy Mecca Municipality (Lower body)
• Mayor	Saleh Al-Turki
• Provincial Governor	Khalid Al-Faisal
Area
• City	1,200 km2 (460 sq mi)
• Land	760 km2 (290 sq mi)
Elevation	277 m (909 ft)
Population  (2022 census)
• City	2,385,509
• Rank	3rd in Saudi Arabia
• Density	3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi)
• Metro	2,427,924 (Mecca Governorate)
Demonym(s)	Meccan, Makki (مكي)
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total (Metro)	$84.6 billion
• Per capita	$39,400
Time zone	UTC+03:00 (SAST)
Area code	+966-12
Website	hmm.gov.sa

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Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and is the capital of Mecca Province. Mecca is considered the birthplace of Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as being the holiest city in Islam.

It is located 70 km (43 mi) inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea in a narrow valley 277 m (909 ft) above sea level. Its metropolitan population in 2022 was 2.4 million, making it the third most populated city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. The Cave of Hira atop the Jabal al-Nour just outside the city is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad. The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is home to the Kaaba, believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael. It is the direction of prayer (qibla) for all Muslims worldwide. Around 44.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and around 55.5% are Muslim foreigners from other countries. Pilgrims more than triple the population number every year during the Ḥajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah as an obligation for all Muslims at least once in their lives. With over 19.3 million international visitors in 2024, Mecca was one of the five most visited cities in the world.

Muslim rulers from in and around the region long tried to rule the city, and thus, much like most of the Hejazi region, has seen several regime changes. The city was most recently conquered in the Saudi conquest of Hejaz by Ibn Saud and his allies in 1925. Since then, Mecca has seen a tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure, with newer, modern buildings such as The Clock Towers, the world's fourth–tallest building and fifth–largest by floor area, towering over the Great Mosque. The Saudi government has also carried out the destruction of several historical structures and archaeological sites, such as the Ajyad Fortress. However, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city.

Under the Saudi government, Mecca is governed by the Mecca Regional Municipality, a municipal council of 14 locally elected members headed by the mayor (called Amin in Arabic) appointed by the Saudi government. As of January 2022, the mayor of the city is Saleh Al-Turki. The City of Mecca amanah, which constitutes Mecca and the surrounding region, is the capital of the Mecca Province, which includes the neighbouring cities of Jeddah and Taif, even though Jeddah is considerably larger in population than Mecca. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal has been the provincial governor since 16 May 2007.