In the middle ages this trade was much more important than it is now. Ibn Jubair (ed. Wright, p. 118 seq.) in the 12th century describes the mart of Mecca in the eight days following the feast as full of gems, unguents, precious drugs, and all rare merchandise, from India, 'Iraq, Khorasan, and every part of the Muslim world. Since the fall of Ibn Jubair the political position of Mecca has always been dependent on the movements of the greater Mohammedan world. In the splendid times of the caliphs immense sums were lavished upon the pilgrimage and the holy city ; and conversely the decay of the central authority of Islam brought with it a long period of faction, wars and misery, in which the most notable episode was the sack of Mecca by the Carmathians at the pilgrimage season of A.D. 93o. The victors carried off the "black stone," which was not restored for 22 years, and then only for a great ransom, when it was plain that even the loss of its palladium could not destroy the sacred character of the city. Under the Fatimites Egyptian influence began to be strong in Mecca; it was opposed by the sultans of Yemen, while native princes claiming descent from the Prophet —the H5.shimite amirs of Mecca, and after them the amirs of the house of Qatada (since 1202)—attained to great authority and aimed at independence; but soon after the final fall of the Abbasids the Egyptian overlordship was definitely established by sultan Bibars (A.D. 1269). The Turkish conquest of Egypt transferred the supremacy to the Ottoman sultans (1517), who treated Mecca with much favour, and during the 16th century executed great works in the sanctuary and temple. The Ottoman power, however, became gradually almost nominal, and that of the amirs or sherifs increased in proportion, culminating under Ghalib, whose accession dates from 1786. Then followed the wars of the Wahhabis (see ARABIA and WAHHABIS) and the restoration of Turkish rule by the troops of Mehemet 'Ali. By him the dignity of sherif was deprived of much of its weight, and in 1827 a change of dynasty was effected by the appointment of Ibn `Aun. Afterwards Turkish authority again decayed. When the great Mohammedan sultanates had become too much occupied in internecine wars to maintain order in the distant Hejaz, those branches of the Hassanids which, from the beginning of Islam, had retained rural property in Arabia usurped power in the holy cities and the adjacent Bedouin territories. About A.D. 96o they established a sort of kingdom with Mecca as capital. The influence of the princes of Mecca has varied from time to time, according to the strength of the foreign protectorate in the Hejaz or in consequence of feuds among the branches of the house, until about 1882 it was for most purposes much greater than that of the Turks. During the last quarter of the 19th century Turkish influence became preponderant in western Arabia, and the rail way from Syria to the Hejaz tended to consolidate the sultan's supremacy. Difficult times for the Turkish power arose with the revival of the Wahhabis movement after 1912. The revolt of King Husayn of the Hejaz during the World War of 1914-18 completed the overthrow of the Turks. The period 1919-1925 saw the rapid rise to power of Ibn Saud and the Wahhabis and the overthrow of the Hashimite Government. After a fight at Hadda in the Taif mountains, Ibn Saud occupied Mecca, without bloodshed, in Oct. 1924.
The City.—The hills east and west of Mecca, which are partly built over and rise several hundred feet above the valley, so enclose the city that the ancient walls only barred the valley at three points, where three gates led into the town. In the time of Ibn Jubair the gates still stood though the walls were ruined, but now the gates have only left their names to quarters of the town. At the northern or upper end was the Bab el Matla, or gate of the upper quarter, whence the road continues up the valley towards Min5, and Arafa as well as towards Zeima and the Nejd. Beyond the gate, in a place called the Hajun, is the chief cemetery, com monly called el Ma(15,, and said to be the resting-place of many of the companions of Mohammed. Here a cross-road, running over
the hill to join the main Medina road from the western gate, turns off to the west by the pass of Kada, the point from which the troops of the Prophet stormed the city (A.H. 8). The lower or southern gate, at the Masfala quarter, opened on the Yemen road, where the rain-water from Mecca flows off into an open valley. Beyond, there are mountains on both sides; on that to the east, commanding the town, is the great castle, a fortress of considerable strength. The third or western gate, Bab el Omra (formerly also Bab el-Zahir, from a village of that name), lay almost opposite the great mosque, and opened on a road leading westwards round the southern spurs of the Red moun tain. This is the way to Wadi Fatima and Medina, the Jedda road branching off from it to the left. Considerable suburbs now lie outside the quarter named after this gate ; in the middle ages a road led for some miles through partly cultivated land with good wells, as far as the boundary of the sacred territory and gathering place of the pilgrims at Tanim.
The length of the sinuous main axis of the city from the farthest suburbs on the Medina road to the suburbs in the extreme north, now frequented by Bedouins, is, according to Burckhardt, 3,500 paces. About the middle of this line the longitudinal thoroughfares are pushed aside by the vast court yard and colonnades which compose the great mosque. The mosque is enclosed by houses with windows opening on the arcades and commanding a view of the Ka`ba. Immediately be yond these, on the side facing Jebel Abu Kobais, a broad street runs south-east and north-west across the valley. This is the Mased (sacred course) between the eminences of Safi and Marwa, and has been from very early times one of the most lively bazaars and the centre of Meccan life. The other chief bazaars are also near the mosque in smaller streets.
The houses of ancient Mecca pressed close upon the Ka`ba, the noblest families, who traced their descent from Kosai, the reputed founder of the city, having their dwellings immediately round the sanctuary. To the north of the Ka`ba was the Dar el Nadwa, or place of assembly of the Koreish. The multiplication of pilgrims after Islam soon made it necessary to clear away the nearest dwellings and enlarge the place of prayer around the Ancient House. Omar, Othman and Ibn Jubair had all a share in this work. The city is fortunate in having a good supply of water, and water works were laid down by Sultan Selim II. in 1571. Heavy rains or cloudbursts on the hills around have the effect of seriously flooding the city, and in spite of the building of various dams it is no uncommon sight to see the Silk es-Saglilr, one of the main streets, a real water course. Many of the houses in Mecca are built of a fine dark grey granite, which is obtained near Jebel Umar. During the period before the World War of 1914-18 the Turks did much to improve the streets and the general condition of the city and its population, and prosperity greatly increased. To the eastward of the Haram, in a small depression known as Jiyad, was the Turkish residential area and it still remains a good quarter of the city. The population of the city at present (1929) is estimated between 50,000 and 6o,000. The only architectural feature is the great mosque (see below), which is at the same time the university hall, where, between two pilgrim seasons, lectures are delivered on Mohammedan law, doctrine and connected branches of science. A poorly provided public library is open to the use of students. The madrassehs or buildings around the mosque, originally intended as lodgings for students and professors, have long been let out to rich pilgrims. There are baths, ribats or hospices for poor pilgrims from India, Java, etc., a hospital and a public kitchen for the poor.