Did you know that non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the Saudi Arabian Muslim pilgrimage city of Mecca? Mecca is a holy city for the Muslim faith, and it is not the capital of Saudi Arabia, but a very important city in the country. It is the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, the most important person in the Muslim faith. Mecca houses many historic buildings such as tombs and mosques.

In the tumultuous past, Mecca was ruled by different peoples and historic buildings were sometimes destroyed and rebuilt. Every Muslim is obliged, if they can afford it and their health allows, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their life. This pilgrimage strengthens the religious and moral feelings of Muslims and gives every Muslim the opportunity to turn to Allah.

An annual Hajj takes place, which is the pilgrimage to Mecca that millions of Muslims participate in. The Hajj in its current form took place for the first time in the year that the prophet Muhammad died. During the Hajj, it is extremely busy in and around Mecca, and it is a great challenge to manage the millions of Muslims who arrive in Mecca at the same time.

Non-Muslims are not allowed in Mecca. (This also applies to the city of Medina.) This is indicated by signs around Mecca and there is control. Multiple arguments are given as to why non-Muslims are not welcome in Mecca (and Medina). For example, Muslims want to be able to practice their faith in peace without being disturbed by other religions. Mecca is not a holy place for Jews and Christians, and they are therefore not welcome. They also do not want Mecca to become a tourist attraction. There are a few known cases of non-Muslims who have managed to enter Mecca. Sir Richard Burton posed as a pilgrim in 1853, allowing him to enter Mecca. He wrote a famous book about it.

The photo accompanying this article is created by Citizen59 via flickr.com