Mecca: Dust, Dates, and a Whole Lot of Faith (and Heat)
okay, so. mecca. wow. where do i even start? i’ve been sifting through notes and trying to process everything, and honestly, it’s a bit of a jumble… something. it’s all a bit much, isn’t it?
first things first: it's 29.02°c right now, feels like 28.72°c, pressure’s 1012, humidity’s 41%, sea level’s 1012, and ground level’s 983. i just checked and it’s…there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. seriously, it’s hot. like, really hot. and dry. you’re surrounded by these crazy mountains - the Sarawat Mountains, apparently - and it’s all just…rock and sand. it’s a pretty compact area, squeezed between those mountains.
people keep talking about the Kaaba, which is, you know, the cube, 12 by 10 by 16 meters. it’s in the al-Masjid al-Haram, the Great Mosque. apparently, it’s the focal point for prayer, and everyone’s facing it. it’s…intense. you can feel the weight of history and faith everywhere. it’s overwhelming, honestly.
apparently, it used to be a trade hub, like, way back when. Macoraba, they called it. linking the Mediterranean to Africa and Asia. crazy, right? and it’s got this whole backstory with the Prophet Muhammad, born here around 570 CE. he got his first revelation in the Cave of Hira on Mount Hira. mount hira, mount thawr, mount ajyad… there are so many mountains! Mount Ajyad is 1,332 ft, Mount Abū Qubays is 1,220 ft, Mount Quʿayqʿān is 1,401 ft, Mount Hira is 2,080 ft, and Mount Thawr is 2,490 ft. i’m getting dizzy just thinking about it.
food-wise… it’s a bit of a letdown, actually. i was hoping for some amazing local dishes, but apparently, the search results didn’t turn up much. dates and barley seem to be the big things, and stuff influenced by the pilgrims. someone told me that the food stalls near the mosque are overpriced and not that great, but the dates are pretty good. i’ll take that as a win, i guess.
if you get bored, Jeddah is just a short drive away (~70 km west), it’s a major port city. Taif is a bit further east (~50-80 km), known for roses. there’s also a whole coastline and desert regions nearby. so, options, i suppose.
and the culture… it’s all about Islam, obviously. everyone’s praying, dressed modestly. it’s a conservative place, arabic-speaking. the population is huge - 7.8 million in the province, and millions more pilgrims every year. it’s crowded. like, really crowded.
things to be aware of? well, obviously, non-muslims aren’t allowed. that’s a big one. and the heat. and the crowds. and the mountains. it’s not exactly accessible, you know? you have to go through Jeddah to get here, prepare for religious obligations, and just…deal with it.
it’s a unique place, i’ll give it that. the only city where muslims are obligated to visit for Hajj. it’s a spiritual epicenter, a trade oasis, and a place of intense faith. it’s…a lot. i need a nap. and maybe a very large glass of water.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/ankara-a-tired-cold-and-surprisingly-human-capital
- https://topiclo.com/post/re-reading-the-bible
- https://topiclo.com/post/tashkent-the-messy-middle-child-of-central-asia
- https://topiclo.com/post/yerevan-where-mountains-meet-concrete-and-i-almost-died-from-the-elevation
- https://topiclo.com/post/messy-hyderabad-wanderings