Top Things To Do in Makkah (Apart from Performing Umrah)
At a height of 277 meters (909 ft.) above sea level, in a narrow mountain valley lays the holy city of Makkah in the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia.
Makkah, The holiest city for Muslims is the center that all the Muslims in the world face 5 times a day when they offer their prayers.
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Most of the Muslims traveling to Makkah each year (over 7 million annually for Umrah) do so for the purpose of Hajj or Umrah.
Historically, Makkans have been hosting Muslims from all over the world who visit Makkah in million each year.
Every aspect of the city of Makkah has been designed and developed to facilitate the pilgrims.
From 5 star hotels to the private residences, Makkah houses all the facilities and amenities that are essential to support a huge influx.
In the last decade or so the enormous development to support millions of Hajj and Umrah performers, each year makes Makkah a truly modern and worth visiting (other than religious reasons also).
It is important to remember that Makkah is one of the oldest cities in the world.
Besides travel for Umrah in Makkah and visiting many historical places of religious significance, you can also visit historical markets, enjoy top quality (very reasonably priced) food and shop for all kinds of quality stuff (Saudi is economical being duty-free for most imported items).
Here is a list of top things to do in Makkah that you may consider when you are on Umrah in Makkah (apart from performing Umrah) :
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Top Things To Do in Makkah during your Umrah
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Abraj Al Bait
It is a must-visit place in Makkah in your spare time. Also known as the Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower, it is a five-star hotel situated alongside the Masjid Al Haram in a prime area as the nearest hotel to Kaaba.
It is one of the world’s tallest structures with 120 stories and 1542 guest rooms, suites and Residences, nine best in class eateries, 56 lifts that permit simple access to and from Al Masjid Al Haram.
It is practically visible from miles outside Makkah. It is the most visible icon of the modern face of Makkah
Jabal al-Nour
It is one of the most sacred sites in Makkah that you must visit, also known as “The Mountain of Light” or “Slope of Illumination”.
This slope houses a cave, which has enormous significance in Islam since it is the place Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH ) spent a lot of time reflecting and received his first divine revelation from ALLAH in this cave through Jibraeel.
Masjid e Taneem
It is a mosque, 10 minutes from Makkah, with extensive facility for showers, bathing and changing, available for Muslims visiting Makkah for Umrah.
It is utilized by nearby Muslims as Miqat. In the event that somebody is living in Makkah and needs to perform Umrah, they visit this mosque with a specific goal to get into the state of Ihram before coming back to Makkah.
Mina
Mina is popular for being the Biggest “tent city” that houses over 3 million Hajis each year who come to Makkah for Hajj.
This tent city is comprised of 100,000 aerated and cooled tents (covered with Teflon to withstand temperatures of up to 700 degrees Celsius) to provide living space for millions of Hajis during their compulsory stay during Hajj days.
Mina is a must-visit place in Makkah (though it has no connection with the performance of Umrah).
Makkah Mall
Makkah Mall is the best place in Makkah for any shopping that you intend to take back home as a gift for your dear ones.
It easily qualifies to world-class shopping mall standards and house shops and stores that contain everything from fresh fruit shops to high-end brand stores.
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Al Wahba Crater
Al Wahba Crater is located on the upper east side of the city of Makkah.
Located in the desert, approx 300 km from Makkah, this enormous pit measures about 1 mile across. An 850-foot bluff extends to the base of the pit. The pit is filled with water in the wet season and transforms into a salt container in the mid-year (as the sun dries it out).
“Saour” Mountain
The mountain is a standout amongst the most noteworthy notable destinations in Makkah. It houses the “Cave of Saour”, a hollow space where Allah’s messenger and his partner, Al Sideeq, stayed for three days on their migration to Madina.
The mountain is at the southern end of Makkah and ascends around 760 meters above sea level.
Jannat ul Maula
It is the graveyard of the general population of Makkah. En-route to Mina, it houses the graves of Um-Al-Momeneen Bibi Khadija (the first wife of the Holy Prophet) and that of Prophets’ child Qasim, Asma Bint Abu Baker, Abu-Talib, Abdullah Bin Zubair, and various other individuals from the Holy Prophet’s family.
This graveyard close to the Al-Haram Mosque and it is must visit the place to offer dua for those who rest in peace there.
There are two segments of this burial ground. One segment contains old graves while alternate contains new graves and these are the graves of common subjects.
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Makkah Date Orchards and Markets
Makkah is renowned all over the world for the quality of its date palm orchards and the quality of dates it produces.
Many historical date orchards are located around Makkah that you can visit and purchase quality products of these date orchards.
Many of these date orchards date back to the days of the Holy Prophet and known to produce the date varieties that were planted by the Holy Prophet in person.
There are many famous markets in Makkah that exclusively deal in selling dates and date products. You can see and taste from many varieties of dates in these date markets.