00:00Imagine a city that, for more than a billion people, isn't just a place on a map, but a
00:05direction, a spiritual compass that they turn to every single day. Today, we're
00:10taking a journey to that very place, the sacred city of Maka, to explore its deep history
00:15and its incredible modern reality. If you could listen to the sound of Maka, this
00:20is what you'd hear. It's the Talbiyah, the pilgrim's call. Here I am, O Allah.
00:25Here I am. This chant echoes through the city. It's more than just words. It's the
00:30very pulse of the place, a constant collective hum of pure devotion.
00:35So, how did this one desert valley become the absolute spiritual center for a global faith?
00:40It's the heartbeat of the Muslim world. And in this explainer, we're going to peel back the layers
00:44to see what's going on.
00:45What makes it tick, from its most ancient origins to its holiest sites and its ultra-modern
00:50present? So, let's start at the beginning. What exactly is it that makes
00:55Maka, the spiritual epicenter for a huge portion of the world's population?
01:00Let's dive in.
01:01Okay, let's get our bearings. The official name is Maka al-Mukaram.
01:05Maka, which means Maka the Honored. Its ancient name, Baka, is even mentioned in the Quran.
01:10Which tells you just how deep its roots go. Today, it's a bustling city of about 2 million people.
01:15But its real status? It is, without a doubt, the holiest city in Islam.
01:20At the very center of the city is something truly mind-blowing. The Masjid al-Haram.
01:25Or the Grand Mosque. I mean, this is the largest mosque on the entire planet. It's so...
01:30vast, it can hold up to 4 million worshippers at once. Just try to picture that for a second.
01:35And right there, in the heart of the Grand Mosque, stands the Kaaba.
01:40It's this simple, cube-shaped building. But it is the single most sacred...
01:45site in all of Islam. So, what's the story behind this ancient structure?
01:50Well, the story of the Kaaba goes way, way back. According to Islamic tradition...
01:55its origins are divine, first built in the heavens, then on earth by angels.
01:59The first...
02:00human to build it was Adam. After the Great Flood, its foundations were rediscovered and rebuilt.
02:05built by the prophet Ibrahim and his son Ishmael. It's been reconstructed a few times since then.
02:10but its essence has always remained.
02:12Okay, here's a fascinating bit of trivia...
02:15for you. How can part of a building be outside the building? It sounds like a riddle...
02:20but the answer tells us something really important about the Kaaba's history.
02:24You see this semi-circuit...
02:25particular area right here? It's called the Hatim. The story goes that when Prophet Ibrahim was...
02:30rebuilding the Kaaba, he ran out of lawful materials to finish the original rectangular shape.
02:35So, this area is still considered part of the Kaaba's original foundation, and for pilgrims...
02:40this is huge, because it means praying inside the Hatim is spiritually the same as praying...
02:45inside the Kaaba itself.
02:47Alright, let's step outside the Grand Mosque, because...
02:50the sacred history of Makkah is spread all over the city. It's filled with places that...
02:55marks some of the most important moments in Islam. Let's go visit a few.
02:59You can literally...
03:00walk in the footsteps of history here. There's the site where the Prophet Muhammad was born...
03:04which is now alive.
03:05in his library. The recently discovered location of the home he shared with his first wife, Khadijah...
03:10then there's the incredible Jabal al-Nur, the mountain of light, where the first verses of the Quran...
03:15were revealed in the Cave of Hira, and the ancient cemetery, Janatul Mawala...
03:20the final resting place for so many of his loved ones. And here's where you see the incredible...
03:25contrast of Makkah today. When you're standing near this ancient sacred mountain, you look out...
03:30and there it is. That massive, gleaming, modern clock tower...
03:34right in front of you.
03:35It's this one stunning view where millennia of history and the 21st century meet...
03:40face-to-face.
03:41That contrast really brings us to the Makkah of right now. Because...
03:45while its soul is ancient, its body is a full-on modern metropolis. One that's constantly growing...
03:50and changing to welcome the entire world. So, let's talk about that clock tower.
03:55It's officially called the Abraj Albeit, and it absolutely dominates the skyline. To give you an...
04:00idea of just how ridiculously big this thing is, just remember this one number. 601...
04:05meters. That's how tall it is. So, what does 601 meters...
04:10actually look like? Well, think of Big Ben in London. A pretty famous landmark, right?
04:15The Makkah clock tower is more than six times taller, and its clock face at...
04:2043 meters across, it's also more than six times wider. We're talking about a...
04:25true marvel of modern engineering. And it's so much more than just a tall building.
04:30This thing is packed with incredible tech. Its giant speakers can broadcast the call to prayer...
04:35for over seven kilometers. It has a massive lightning conductor to protect it.
04:40Here's my favorite fact. You see that giant golden crescent at the very top? It's not just decoration.
04:45It actually contains a prayer room, making it the highest place of worship on Earth.
04:49How cool is that?
04:50So, what's it actually like for a pilgrim to arrive here? Well, first off...
04:55Makkah doesn't have an airport, so you fly into nearby Jeddah. From there, it's about an hour...
05:00and a half drive. Most people get dropped off near a main road, like Ibrahim Khalil wrote.
05:05And from there, they walk to one of the main gates, like King Fa Decade 79, to begin their pilgrimage.
05:10Now, let's talk about the practical side of things. The source gives us some examples of costs...
05:15from a Pakistani pilgrim's view. The visa might be around 45,000 rupees, and a flight could be about...
05:20150,000. Once you're there, daily costs are pretty reasonable. You know, 20 Saudi reals for a little...
05:25local meal, maybe 40 for a taxi. For so many people, these costs represent a lifetime of savings...
05:30for a journey they've always dreamed of making. The pilgrimage itself is an ancient tradition.
05:35But the city is anything but static. So what does the future hold for Makkah?
05:40Where's all this heading? Well, the future of Makkah can be summed up in one word...
05:45growth. As part of Saudi Arabia's big Vision 2030 plan, there's a huge expansion...
05:50of the Grand Mosque happening right now. The goal is simple...
05:53to make space for the millions and millions...
05:55more pilgrims who want to come for Hajj and Omrah. And that expansion gets right to the core...
06:00of why Makkah is so important. As the source says so beautifully, every Muslim...
06:05has a longing in their life to go at least once. It's this deep spiritual...
06:10pole that connects people across every border, culture, and language on earth.
06:15And that leaves us with this one final powerful question. Makkah is a city...
06:20of incredible contrasts. Ancient rituals taking place right next to futuristic...
06:25skyscrapers. As it continues to race into the future, the biggest challenge will be this. How does it...
06:30grow and modernize without losing that sacred, timeless spirit that is called to the faithful for over...
06:351400 years? That's the question that will define the heart of Islam for generations to come.
06:40So, let's see.
06:41So, let's see.
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