Pilgrimage
People of Islam are required, if financially capable and in good health, to journey to Mecca once in their lives. It is called the hajj, and people have been making the trek since the time of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. (570 ~630 C.E.)
The pilgrims seek the Kaaba, a stone structure dating its construction to Abraham. The land centering from the Kaaba is considered God's House, surrounded by five mountain peaks.
Under control of Muhammad's tribe, the Kaaba was rebuilt. A stone, said to have been layed by the prophet himself, is framed in silver at the Eastern corner of the Kaaba. It is the center stone Muslims pray to.
Mecca Modernity
Owing much to Saudi Arabia's oil boom, the city has significantly developed its accommodations towards pilgrims. In 2002, King Abdullah demolished the Ottoman fortress dating from 1781, replacing it with the Royal Mecca Clock Tower. The complex houses prayer rooms, a shopping mall, luxury hotels, a hospital, parking lots and a helipad.
The Lesser Pilgrimage
Five important days in the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah (September), men and women perform the rights and rituals of the Greater and Lesser pilgrimage. Upon completion they gain the statues as hajj for men, and hajjah for women. The Greater Pilgrimage is made up of several tasks that span the entire five days.
The Lesser Pilgrimage is a moment of high emotion for travelers, and generally the first order of business for most. It is visiting the Kaaba within the Grand Mosque. It can be done at any point throughout the five days. As a trans National religion, Muslims across the globe connect with one another throughout the journey to, and within, Mecca.