The Clock Towers in Mecca

The Clock Towers  is a government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. These towers are part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project that aims to modernize the city in catering to its pilgrims. The central hotel tower, which is the Mecca Clock Royal Tower, is the fourth-tallest building and sixth-tallest freestanding structure in the world. According to Guinness World Records, the Makkah Tower is the tallest clock tower in the world, and the complex of seven buildings comprise the world's second most expensive building. The clock faces are the largest in the world, and the top four floors of the clock tower house the Clock Tower Museum.

The building complex is 300 metres away from the world's largest mosque and Islam's most sacred site, the Great Mosque of Mecca. The developer and contractor of the complex is the Saudi Binladin Group, the Kingdom's largest construction company. The total cost of construction totaled US$15 billion. The complex was built after the demolition of the Ajyad Fortress, the 18th-century Ottoman citadel on top of a hill overlooking the Grand Mosque. The destruction of the historycally significant site in 2002 by the Saudi government sparked an outcry and a strong reaction from Turkey.

Source : https://en.wikipedia, Foto : KBIHU Al Wahid Rezki Barokah Tarakan & https://en.wikipedia

Mecca al-Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia

 

Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the holiest city in Islam. It is 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. 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 hajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhul-Hijjah. With over 10.8 million international visitors in 2023, Mecca was one of the ten most visited cities in the world.

Mecca is located in the Hejaz region, a 200 km (124 mi) wide strip of mountains separating the Nafud desert from the Red Sea. The city is situated in a valley with the same name around 70 km (44 mi) east of the port city of Jeddah. Mecca is one of the lowest cities in elevation in the Hejaz region, located at an elevation of 277 m (909 ft) above sea level at 21º23' north latitude and 39º51' east longitude. Mecca is divided into 34 districts.

The city centers on the al-Haram area, which contains the Masjid al-Haram. The area around the mosque is the old city and contains the most famous district of Mecca, Ajyad. The main street that runs to al-Haram is the Ibrahim al-Khalil Street, named after Ibrahim. Traditional, historical homes built of local rock, two to three stories long are still present within the city's central area, within view of modern hotels and shopping complexes. The total area of modern Mecca is over 1,200 km² (460 sq mi).

Mecca is generally considered "the fountainhead and cradle of Islam". Mecca is revered in Islam as the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Hira cave atop the Jabal al-Nur ("Mountain of Light"), just outside the city, is where Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad.  Visiting Mecca for the Ḥajj is an obligation upon all able Muslims. The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is home to the Ka'bah, believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael. It is Islam's holiest site and the direction of prayer (qibla) for all Muslims worldwide.

Original Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca, Foto : Sabudi & www.kompas.id

Ta'if City in Mecca Province

Taif is a city and governorate in Mecca Province in Saudi Arabia. Located at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) in the slopes of the Hijaz Mountains, which themselves are part of the Sarat Mountains, the city has a population of 563,282 people in 2022, making it one of the most populous cities in the kingdom.

There is a belief that Taif is indirectly referred to in Quran 43:31. The city was visited by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, sometime in the early 7th century, and was inhabited by the tribe of Banu Thaqif. It is still inhabited to this day by their descendants. As a part of the Hejaz, the city has seen many transfers-of-power throughout its history, with the last being during the Saudi conquest of Hejaz in 1925.

The city has been called the unofficial summer capital of Saudi Arabia and has also been called the best summer destination in Saudi Arabia as it enjoys a moderate weather during summer, unlike most of the Arabian Peninsula. The city owes its popularity among tourists to its many mountain resorts and moderate climate, even during the harsh summers of Arabia. The city is connected to the nearby resort town of Al-Hada via the iconic Highway 15 (Taif – Al-Hada Road). It stands out from the rest of the Hijazi region as it is a city that plays an active role in the agricultural output of Saudi Arabia and is the center of an agricultural area known for its cultivation of grapes, pomegranate, figs, roses and honey. Taif is also very active in the manufacturing of traditional attar, and is known locally as "City of the Roses".

Sources : https://en.wikipedia.org, Foto : Sabudi

The Taif Cable Cars, Ta'if, Saudi Arabia

The Taif Cable Cars, also known as Telefric Al Hada, are found at the Al Hada Cable Car Resort. It is located on the first ring road in Taif. The route of the cable car begins from the highest Jabal al Hada from the Ramada Al Hada Hotel and leads down through the old pedestrian road towards al Kar, a tourist village which is situated at the bottom of the Karakoram Mountain Range. These two sites make up the upper and lower

stations of the Taif Cable Cars. This offers a nice ride up and down the hill in the cable car, with spectacular views of the village and mountain. Other activities which are part of this resort include tourist games and facilities at the lower cable car station in the village of al Kar. These include facilities such as restaurants, shops, and other public facilities and also games and activities such as paintball, car racing circuits, laser misses, water games, and summer ski games.

Taif University in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia

Taif University is located in Al Hawiyah, Ta'if, Saudi Arabia. It was established in 2004. The university is one of three created by TU. The university is a member of the Association of Arab Universities and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields of study. Taif University offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including arts, science, engineering, business, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and law. The university has a total of 16 faculties, which include the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry, and the College of Pharmacy.

 Source : https://en.wikipedia, Foto : Sabudi

The Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia

The Prophet's Mosque is the second mosque built by the Islamic Prophet Muhammad in Medina, after the Quba Mosque, as well as
the second largest mosque and holiest site in Islam, after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, in the Saudi region of the Hejaz.  The mosque is located at the heart of Medina, and is a major site of pilgrimage that falls under the purview of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Muhammad himself was involved in the construction of the mosque. At the time, the mosque's land belonged to two young orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, and when they learned that Muhammad wished to acquire their land to erect a mosque, they went to Muhammad and offered the land to him as a gift; Muhammad insisted on paying a price for the land because they were orphaned children. The price agreed upon was paid by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who thus became the endower or donor of the mosque, on behalf or in favor of Muhammad. al-Ansari also accommodated Muhammad upon his arrival at Medina in 622.

Originally an open-air building, the mosque served as a community center, a court of law, and a religious school. It contained a raised platform or pulpit (minbar) for the people who taught the Quran and for Muhammad to give the Friday sermon (khutbah). Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated the mosque, naming its walls, doors and minarets after themselves and their forefathers. After an expansion during the reign of the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I (r. 705–715), it now incorporates the final resting place of Muhammad and the first two Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) and Umar (r. 634–644). One of the most notable features of the site is the Green Dome in the south-east corner of the mosque, originally Aisha's house, where the tomb of Muhammad is located. Many pilgrims who perform the Hajj also go to Medina to visit the Green Dome.

Original Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca, Foto : Sabudi &  https://haramainbd.com/15-important-places-inside-masjid-nabawi/