Mecca: The Sacred City

by Ziauddin Sardar

Mecca is, for many, the heart of Islam. It is the birthplace of Muhammad, the direction to which Muslims turn when they pray, and the site of pilgrimage that annually draws some three million Muslims from all corners of the world. Yet the significance of Mecca is more than purely religious. What happens in Mecca and how Muslims think about the political and cultural history of Mecca has had and continues to have a profound influence on world events to this day.

In this insighful book, Ziauddin Sardar unravels the meaning and significance of Mecca. Tracing its history, from its origins as a “barren valley” in the desert to its evolution as a trading town and sudden emergence as the religious center of a world empire, Sardar examines the religious struggles and rebellions in Mecca that have significantly shaped Muslim culture. An illuminative, lyrical, and witty blend of history, reportage, and memoir, Mecca reflects all that is profound and enlightening, curious and amusing about Mecca and takes us behind the closed doors to one of the most important places in the world today.

Genres: History, Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Middle East, Travel, Politics

450 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Ziauddin Sardar has written or edited 45 books over a period of 30 years, many with his long-time co-author Merryl Wyn Davies. Recent titles include Balti Britain: a Journey Through the British Asian Experience (Granta, 2008); and How Do You Know: Reading Ziauddin Sardar on Islam, Science and Cultural Relations (Pluto, 2006). The first volume of his memoirs is Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim (Granta, 2006). His recent television work includes a 90-minute documentary for the BBC in 2006 called 'Battle for Islam'. Sardar's online work includes a year-long blog on the Qur'an published in 2008 by The Guardian newspaper.
Sardar is a Visiting Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the Department of Arts Policy and Management at City University London and is Editor of the forecasting and planning journal, Futures. He is also a member of the UK Commission on Equality and Human Rights. His journalism appears most often in The Guardian and The Observer, as well as the UK weekly magazine, New Statesman. In the 1980s, he was among the founders of Inquiry, a magazine of ideas and policy focusing on Muslim countries. His early career includes working as a science correspondent for Nature and New Scientist magazines and as a reporter for London Weekend Television.
>>(from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziauddin... )<<
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*You can know more from his own site:
http://www.ziauddinsardar.com/Biograp...

Reviews

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an urban designer, a historian, a leading intellectual, and a man who has always loved his mother's faith, Sardar is almost uniquely qualified to evaluate the history, the cultural life, and the urban landscape of Mecca. Starting with the earliest records and myths of this particular place, he traces the evolution of politics, architecture, community and ideology, down to a brutally honest assessment of the city as it stands today. I must quote part of it: "Mecca today is a microcosm of its own history replayed as tragedy. The city that has been remade in the image of the wealth and imperial splendour of whatever power was dominant is the plaything of its latest masters -- who happen on this occasion to be lacking any aesthetic sensitivity, so that the underlying theme of naked power and wealth-driven consumer excess is brazenly exposed for all to see, devoid of saving graces."

This detailed tale of lives through the centuries, neighbourhoods, symbols or dreams raises driving questions about what Mecca is used for, what it means, and which aspects of its vast heritage will prevail in the future.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is about Mecca/ Makkah/ Baca/Bakkah as a place and a spiritual place. Some will wonder how all the centuries of history can be put in a book of just over 4oo pages. Well Ziauddin Sardar did it. He grew up with the sight of Mecca in his mind and he got to go to the holy city five times. The history one could say he puts into the book is only a dusting of the events of the long period of the Kaaba's existence. It is a very enjoyable read and fascinating. So what is the future of Mecca? To know it's past, present and future one would have to find its soul. The soul of Mecca is in each person, whether Muslim and maybe for some surprisingly non-Muslim alike. For most religions if not perhaps all religions (paganism is not really a religion) is a common theme. It may seem simple but it's not. Charlie Chaplin once said the Kingdom of God was in each of us. He wasn't a religious person, he was agnostic, perhaps atheist, however, his beliefs he was right. In each of us as Oscar Wilde said our own heaven and hell and from that our own god, in whatever way we wish to manifest god. People go on searches for god. Indeed the pilgrims to Mecca are searching for a closer connection to their Allah and still others will go on spiritual journeys looking for god. There is no obvious place that god dwells except within the faithful's heart. Quite a few atheists will go out of their way to vigorously dismiss the notion of god. Many cry that with all of the world's woes that occur is proof that there is no god. That somehow the idea of a god is a fixer for all our cruelties and stupidity we inflict on the earth and as such we can just keep repeating this because some upstairs parent will sigh tidy up our messes and leave appropriately afterwards. I am no advocate for saying the innocent people of something like Hurricane Katrina or millions of orphans being born must have committed some sin in the past and are paying for it in this life. For we all know that Hurricane Katrina was no act of god and the millions of orphans in the world is not part of some mystical plan of god's either. We are responsible for all of that. Any atheist would say we, as mortals, have the power to create life and take it away. The universe and all in it was created by gases and we have universes within universes, not made by an obvious white bearded guy in the sky. In the few places where god has been shown as something or described, god is seen as separate from us and predominately male but looks to be human. As this book shows people are desperate for symbols. Before Islam became what we know of in history the people of Mecca had statues to their gods and goddesses. None of the people had actually ever seen them but they fashioned into stone, wood or precious metals symbols of their gods/goddesses and so it was the world over. Many cultures didn't have their gods/goddesses living in some remote part of the sky, theirs resided on the ground or in water. We look for symbols constantly to find answers to questions we can't really begin to ask. These symbols give us no answers. Symbols are guides, however, like most guides are often misleading. In modern life we have gone back to the old god of Money. We trail after it all our lives for one reason after another. What keeps us asking for the meaning of life? What keeps Ziauddin Sardar believing in the holiness of Mecca despite what is happening to it? The answer is in the book and within ourselves.

[Shirin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ziauddin's work has always been a delight to read. The first of his work I read was way back 20 odd years ago, a book called 'Desperately Seeking Paradise.
This book, Mecca, the Sacred City is a compilation of Mecca's history, a rather all encompassing work, in my opinion. The subject being historical can be rather dry if not properly handled, but I find myself breezing through the book like a novel.

Ziauddin started the book with a narration about his fifth Hajj; done in Ibn Battutta style, or rather an attempt at Hajj in the style of Ibn Battutta, complete with beast of burden in the form of Genjiz the homosexual donkey.

He then recounts the story of Mecca, year by year starting even before the Prophets Muhammad's time; for those who went to Islamic studies will remember Abrahah and his merry men on elephants who attacked Mecca; and all the way to the recent time complete with the photo of Mecca as a tiny dot of a cube when imposed against the giant clock tower that is the Zamzam tower. Ziauddin is not overly melancholic with Mecca as us Muslims have a tendency to be. He took it as a subject and tried to be as complete as possible with the topic describing the environment and citizens of the city at each period.

Many would have been misled with the false assumption that Mecca is a serene and religious place. After all that is all we know of Mecca. The reigning government has attempted to erase, and has been quite successful with reimagining Mecca as a serene place, a place muslims go to to carry out our pilgrimage because it is the 5th pillar of our islamic faith. Little do we know that over the centuries, Mecca had continued to be bathed in blood due to war and treacheries and the visitors to the place be it traders of pilgrims are badly treated, robbed , cursed by its citizens unfitting of a so called holy place.

Is Ziauddin making a mountain out of a mole hill? No. It is true. Prior to my arrival in Mecca 1.5 years ago, the group i was travelling with were warned by the Muttawif, our guide, to be aware of our surroundings because thieves and robbers abound. To be warned of pick pockets where tourist tend to be is pretty normal, but robbed in broad daylight? in a holy city? There was certainly something wrong with the picture which was clearly answered in this book.

I have earmarked numerous sections of the book so i will remember to highlight the stories i wanted to share here at Goodreads. But there are so many earmarks that I will just be rewriting the book instead of reviewing it.
To those interested in the subject, I highly recommend this very readable book. I also highly recommend this book to all muslims who has blindly accepted their faith in Mecca without understanding the reason for why it is such a 'holy' place. The Hajj at best is a pagan practice, having its origins way before the time of Muhammad. and Mecca is now fast growing, looking more and more not like Houston, (Houston! of all place, can you imagine that) the place it was intended to emulate (the Saud wanted it to look like the other oil city), but more and more like Dubai, a place of excesses and the only religion you will find there is the religion of money.

[Mohamed Anees · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my fellow Muslims - a must read without a doubt. An engrossing, enthralling history of a place we all hold dear, whether we have walked within it's walls or not (I am of the latter at this writing).

MAJOR UPDATE: I visited Makkah and Madinah in late 2024 for Umrah with my mother- best trip in my life. Alhamdulillah.

While I had known about a few of the events in the history Makkah, the author creates a comprehensive and in-depth look at all the ups and downs that the Holy City suffered through in it's complicated life. Honestly, I had not known of the heavy bloodshed and violence within the confines of the mosque itself that it had witnessed at nearly every period. Additionally, things that we cannot even imagine or wouldn't wish to occur in the vicinity of Makkah, not to mention near the Kaaba itself, did in fact, occur.

Despite all this - it is a truly fascinating history - though many of us hold Makkah in a very high regard, it was subject to all the same human influence that any other city deals with to this day. At first it seems alien (or at least I wanted it to be), yet it's unavoidable of course -from the native Meccans, Muslims from the surrounding areas or rulers (e.g. the Ottomans) meant to preserve and protect it, to outsiders who passed through.

As the informed reader will likely deduce concerning the contemporary Makkah, the author is quite harsh about where he sees Makkah as it was, where it is today and where he sees it going, after having worked at the Hajj Research Centre and finding much resistance from the powers that be; indeed there is a fair share of Royal-family bashing, which is quite popular among the Muslim population these days, but to the author, the issue is clearly bigger than this - it is more about the microcosm of Makkah as a reflection of the state of Islam and Muslims as a whole.

The author leaves us with a hopeful thought and assertion: that we will all find the true Makkah which he momentarily witnessed, which in essence, has never and will never, fade. Let us hope this is true.

[Omar Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sardar has written an easy to read and easy to follow book about the history of Mecca. The pre-Islamic section is based on whatever legends and outsider accounts have come down to us and Sardar is not very skeptical about any of them as long as they support the mainstream Islamic mythology about Mecca and its origins. The reader can make up his or her own mind about how reliable or unreliable the various accounts are, but they are all interesting and fun to read. And they depict a pre-Islamic Mecca that seems more like New Orleans at carnival time, which may or may not be a good thing depending on the reader's preferences.
The Islamic section is more detailed and the long period between the Abbasids and the later Ottomans was mostly new information for me. The overall framework is mainstream "moderate" Sunni, but you will learn new things even if you do not share Sardar's particular Pakistani-British prejudices. Meccan poetry contests and the Meccan music scene may surprise readers who have only seen the Wahabi-ized Mecca of the last century or so.
Worth a read, mostly because you won't find this much Mecca-related lore in one place in an easy to read book. But if you are looking for a very serious scholarly work, keep looking..

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, Informative & Beautifully Written! An Excellent Read! I Loved It!

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began this book exactly a year ago, before my first trip to Mecca to make Umrah. I only read the introduction and first chapter, but felt it best not to leave the book on the currently reading shelf longer than a year. I took lots of notes to write up a comprehensive review, but after reading chapter 11 I find myself exhausted. The tragedy of what has become of Mecca is painful, and I find myself wanting to leave it behind, just as Sardar means to opens one's eyes. Indeed, he argues that Mecca has always been like this, and that the Mecca of our imaginations is a pious illusion and dream, one that he too shared and admits does exist to some degree. I skipped chapters 6 to 9 and skimmed much of the preceding sections only to read particular references to Mecca. Despite sharing a faith, my own perspective is quite different from Sardar’s, and I did not appreciate his approach in large part, though I recognise his valid concerns.

The book begins with an account of Sardar’s experience of Mecca as a pilgrim, particularly the remarkable, entertaining and moving narrative of his pilgrimage on foot from Jedda. This is followed by a simple and standard account of Mecca’s pre-Islamic history, origins of Islam and the life of the Prophet (SAWS) for the first two chapters, from traditional and secular perspectives, then three chapters on mediaeval Islamic history. Chapters six to nine, which I passed over, covered from the 1510s to the 1950s, from the beginning of Ottoman control to modern Saudi Arabia. Chapters 10 and 11 feel like a return to the introduction, with Sardar’s own biography overriding much of the history, before his concluding reflections.

Admittedly, the book does not present itself as an academic work, and I would not recommend it as a work of history. Having formally studied Islamic history, albeit by no means a specialist, I found reading it frustrating. Sardar presents a standard, relatively simplistic account of Islamic history, which often consists of tangents not directly relevant to Mecca. These make sense only insofar as they set the scene and provide context, but little is done with this. A comment on the blurb praises the book for its focus on human stories, but these consist of largely uncritical use of anecdotal narrations and travel accounts, the latter of which were more interesting. Areas of history I am less familiar with, such as the history of the sharifs, were more palatable, though I suspect also likely to be flawed. Even there, and most frustratingly, basic mistakes, such as anachronistic translations, and the frequent misidentification of figures and mis-spelling of their names and terminology suggests little familiarity with the periods he is expounding upon and which make up the bulk of the book.

While his observations of the tragic and horrific state of affairs for many living in Saudi Arabia are not to be shied away from, he also makes broad characterisations of Hijazis and Najdis as money-grubbing and corrupt, and seeks to substantiate this villainisation historically. Sardar makes many assertions without citations or mention of his sources, some of which are general, many of which are stretches, and most of which are, even if true, unflattering, though this at least is intentional. He sets up simple thematic binaries such as tolerance vs puritanism, rationalism vs obscurantism, and seeks to portray historical Mecca (as well as its people “the Meccans” often described as acting en masse with apparently clear group motives, albeit without citation) as the epitome of the latter.

This unflattering approach is deliberate and express. Be it out of a modern fascination with a grotesque, rejection of the romantic, or quest for realism, justified or not, this historical exposé of Mecca also feels deeply personal for Sardar, which he makes clear. As mentioned, the book lacks historical rigour, which it makes up for in rhetoric, with strings of open-ended questions. For this reason it feels half-baked and unfinished, and in many ways Sardar’s personal attempt to respond to crisis – to some extent a panicked and flailing call to action.

On the other hand, the final chapter is compelling. As Sardar himself admits that in the accounts by pilgrims he uses, the travel to and from Mecca are the more interesting part, and I would say the same is true of this book. Its beginning and end are the most compelling, grounded in Sardar's own experience of the city, which is the catalyst for the book. This is particularly interesting as he worked there at a time of its (not so) great transformation in the 1970s into the "Arabian Las Vegas". As little is done with the historical narrative and context, these sections would work better independently as an opinion piece or work of essay writing. As mentioned, the historical narrative provided often feels irrelevant to Mecca and could be better found elsewhere, as Sardar largely summarises well known sources.

I wonder who the audience of the book is. I surmise that the portrayal of the book as a history of Mecca is perhaps intended to draw in Muslim readers who hold this mythic Mecca sacrosanct in their minds and then to deconstruct and expose it. It is meant to be uncomfortable reading, and if these were Sardar’s purposes, then at least with me in this he did succeed. Nevertheless, if, as he asserts, most Muslims hold a uninformed, pietistic view of history, I do not feel that his tone would necessarily win those individuals over, while I do not see the subject matter nor its personal inflection as of being much interest to a non-Muslim audience. In any case, even if “realistic”, I would not say the historical narrative he presents is balanced, and so while I would agree that most Muslims sadly have not had the luxury of familiarising themselves with Islamic history to a great extent, this book does not provide a particularly beneficial corrective in that regard.

Sardar mentions his own feelings of guilt that he was unable to prevent what happened to Mecca in the 1970s, that he threw in the towel, and his disillusionment is clear. I wonder to what extent the effort to portray the history of Mecca and more importantly the Meccans as ever corrupted is (subconsciously) an attempt to alleviate that guilt: "It was their nature, it was always like this, how could I have changed that?" It goes without saying that Sardar cannot be blamed for this.

Overall, I appreciate Sardar’s intent in providing another wake up call to the Muslim community, with Mecca as its centre, a mirror of the diseases that beset it. For me at least, this was difficult reading, and I agree that it must not be shied away from, let alone left unacted upon. Nevertheless, the book also purports as a work of history, in which it is largely insufficient, even as popular history. I personally feel I disagree with many of Sardar’s views and object to his tone, although I sympathise with his frustrations and his expression of them, having felt much of the same alienation, frustration and disillusionment on my own trip to Mecca. I can only imagine the pain at seeing the point of transformation and being unable to effect change. For this reason alone I bump it up a star.

In conclusion, while I admit that I neither read the whole book nor have written a comprehensive review, I would not personally recommend the bulk of this book for those interested in the history of Mecca, which Sardar suggests has simultaneously much and little to offer. Meanwhile, I would agree in encouraging Muslims to read up on, recognise, and respond to the tragedy to which the Mother of Cities and hence her many children have been callously subjected, and in this regard there is benefit to be found in the Introduction and final two chapters.

[Amr Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

مكة المدينة المقدسة .

الكتاب بالنسبة إلى كان جوهره يتلخص فى مقدمة المترجمة الدكتورة هبة رءوف ومقدمة المؤلف (و خاصة قصته الطريفة فى الحج مع حماره جنكيز ) والفصل الأخير الذى جاء بعنوان استعادة مكة المثال والصفحتين الأخيرتين من الفصل العاشر ص 401 ، 402 . واللتان تبدآن من أول هذه الفقرة :
" إن وظيفة الكعبة المشرفة هذا الهيكل المكعب من الطوب والطين والمكسو بالقماش الأسود ، وهو تزويد المسلمين بمعنى الاتجاه والوجهة أينما كانوا على وجه أرض الله ولذا يتجه المسلمون نحو الكعبة خمس مرات فى اليوم فى الصلاة ويطوفون حولها سبعة أشواط أثناء أداء الحج والعمرة ......"
والتى تنتهى بهذه العبارة " إن مكة تخبرنا بوضوح وبلسان حالها أن العالم الإسلامى فى وضع خطير ومؤلم "
لايعنى ذلك أن باقى الكتاب متواضع بل جيد وشيق فى معلوماته الصلبة وفى طريقة سرده ومصادره ، ولكن فى نظرى كان مجرد تأريخ سياسى ودينى لمكة وسياسى أكثر حول الصراع حول من يحكم مكة سواء من الأشراف أو غيرهم ومنزلة مكة السياسية عند القوى الدولية عبر الزمان فغلب على الفصول الجانب التأريخى السردى وأغلبه الجانب الأسود أو الواقعى جدا مع استبعاد مكة المثال ، والمصنف كان صريحا جدا فى مقدمته حيث قال :
" إن هذا الكتاب ليس عن مكة المثال ، على الرغم من أنه يحكى كيف تم بناء هذا التصور المثالى ، إنه كتاب عن مكة الأخرى ، الفرعية والمهمشة حيث الحياة المعيشة وحيث سكن الأخيار والأشرار وارتكبت فظائع وحيث كان الطمع وعدم التسامح عرفا "
فالكتاب كان رحلة طويلة عن مكة منذ فجر التاريخ حين كانت وادى غير ذي ذرع أو وادى البكاء كما أطلق عليها المؤلف فى فصله الأول حتى مكة الحديثة أو قل الحداثية تحت حكم آل سعود .
كنت أتوقع تناول للتاريخ الإجتماعى لأهل مكة أوسع من ذلك فغالبا اقتصر المؤلف على سرديات المستشرقين والرحالة الأوروبيين أو انطباعات الرحالة العرب والمسلمين ومعظمها كانت خلاصته " أهل مكة غلاظ قساة أفظاظ " وأنا هنا لا اختلف معه فى هذه النتيجة كثيرا ولكن كنت أتطلع للإشتباك أكثروأعمق مع هذه النصوص بل وإنشاء ورصد ملاحظات خاصة بالمؤلف نفسه ، وإن كان قد أجاب على سؤال كان فى ذهنى قديما وهو : لماذا لم تكن مكة مدينة حضارية مثل حواضر الإسلام الشهيرة قديما مثل بغداد دمشق القاهرة قرطبة ؟ .
تجربة المؤلف فى جمعية أبحاث الحج مهمة ولطيفة وتعكس الفرق بين أهل نجد وأهل الحجاز كما أشار المصنف من عقبات واجهتهم من النخبة النجدية ..وكان أحد أفراد جمعية أبحاث الحج ورفيق المصنف هو الدكتور سامى العنقاوى
وأنا ادعوا القراء بعد الانتهاء من قراءة الكتاب أن يشاهدوا مقطع على اليوتيوب تحت اسم " منزل الدكتور سامي عنقاوي - مدينة جدة " لتعرفوا مدى المعاناة التى واجهت خيال وإبداع صاحب هذا البيت الذى كان فى مواجهة نخبة نجدية فقيرة الخيال والجمال والإبداع .
الفصل الأخير هو فى نظرى الأجمل وهو ما كنت انتظر أن تكون روحه وأسلوبه حاضرة فى سائر الكتاب .
ما يؤخذ علي الكتاب أو ربما على المصنف :
أولا : انكار العجزات والخوارق للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم .
ثانيا : يريد أن يكون الحرم مكى مقصد لكل الناس بغض النظر عن معتقداتهم ويظن أن من اقتصره على المسلمين فقط الأمويون وليست الشريعة الإسلامية .
ثالثا : التناول السطحى للحركة الوهابية .

ولا شك أن العمل موسوعى ومصادر الأجنبية فى نظرى جعلته يقدم جديد للقاريءالعربى ويعرفه بأطروحات غاية فى التخصص والدقة عن سرديات تحليلية للغرب عن مدينتهم المقدسة بل وتناولهم لتفاصيل لم أرى تناول سابق لها من مؤلفين عرب ومسلمين .
وبعد ترجمة هذا الكتاب أستطيع ان أقول كما قال مايكل كوك فى كتابه الأمر بالمعروف والنهى عن المنكر ان تاريخ الفقه الخاص بشعيرة الأمر بالمعروف والنهى عن المنكر ما قبل تأليف أبى حامد الغزالى فى إحياء علوم الدين عن الحسبة يختلف تماما عن ما بعده ، أن المصنفات عن مكة قبل هذا الكتاب تختلف تماما عن ما بعده .
واقتبس فى النهاية قول المصنف :

" إن مكة وُجدت لتُشكلنا ، لا ليشكلها استعراض الحماقات والنواقص الإنسانية "

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I'm interested in this book at the first place
This book was featured in Kinokuniya's #yournextgoodread Instagram post (link), and I also love all things historical, so why not?

What do I think of this book... now that I've done reading it
Yes, whilst this book talks about the history of Mecca, the author had expand it to the scope of the evolution on both architectural and people that resides in it.
He narrates it in an interesting way.

+
1. I love Sardar's writing style. It's like having a friend who is an expert on a subject and tells it as it is; and yet does not project the stereotypical intellectual superiority that will end up making the readers confused.
2. There is a chronology section at the end of book that records important events that took place.
3. The pictorial section, exhibits Mecca in paintings as well as in different timespace.

-
1. There are no dedicated pictorial section specifically on the architectural (chronological) evolution of Mecca. Yes, I do understand it might close to impossible to have the details documented from the earliest design - the information could be lost in time, or probably the access of the information only available to selected few.

Get this
1. If you're a history junkie.
2. If you're always fascinated with the subject of Mecca and looking for a reading material to start out with.
3. Seen/Fan of the travel-documentary series Jejak Rasul.
4. If you want to add a non-fiction book to your reading list.

[Naaytaashreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The function of the Kaaba, a cuboid structure made of brick and mortar and draped in black cloth, is to provide Muslims with a sense of direction. Wherever they may be on God's benevolent earth, Muslims turn towards the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. They walk around it seven times when they are performing the Hajj, or Umra the lesser pilgrimage. It is a symbol, a sign of direction for Muslim to turn towards and inculcate a sense of unity amongst themselves.

Within the Kaaba, there is no sense of direction and hence no purpose. That is why it is empty. To be inside the Kaaba is to lose all sense of direction and purpose."

This was definitely beautifully written. I cannot imagine the effort, the research, the planning and everything into writing this book. I thought I dive into this book with knowing what to expect but now I discover many histories of what I do now know of the history of Makkah.



"Nevertheless, my last best hope for myself and everyone is to know the timeless peace of Mecca I met in the eyes of one old man, the Pakistani peasant who had come to the Holy Cit to die. For believers like him, Mecca is a place of eternal harmony, and something worth living for and striving to attain. It has always been And it will always be."

[Imran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative. Traces the history of the city from barren land to current period.

The last chapter of the book is close to my heart where writer talks about commercialized structures (5-7 stars hotels) surrounding Kaaba affecting spiritual journeys making pilgrimage sounds like a picnic.

[Eressea · Rating 4 out of 5]

今年第二本伊斯蘭相關藏書
本來紙本已經絕版，買了貴死人的二手書
結果前陣子海巡發現出了電子書....
只好再買一次，現在有電書比較有動力看

本書是麥加城邦史
前面幾章複習了伊斯蘭早期的歷史
於我有點無聊
後來寫到麥加是個不在大一統政權控制下的城邦國家
就有意思起來
不讀本書從沒想過
麥加做為一個宗教聖地
卻從來不是伊斯蘭文明的核心
只想從朝聖信徒上削錢
而當代的沙烏地阿拉伯更是變本加厲
把歷史古蹟人文遺產一股腦全鏟掉
美其名是改善朝聖旅途的方便與安全
其實是改建成商場旅館豪宅

作者身為具批判性思考的穆斯林
思考地理上的聖地與心靈面的聖地
兩者該怎麼調和
並批評歷代統治者的功利思想
對非信徒來說是獲取新知
但對信徒來說是震聾發聵還是狗吠火車就難說了
--
我買貴翻二手書的時候以為電子書無望了，結果聯經你........

[Sadiq Kazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and amazing! An absorbing read by one of my favourite scholars on Islam.

[Za Bakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to appreciate the breadth of history that is covered in this book. From the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to the present, the author presents the tumultuous history of Mecca as both a centre of Muslim piety (symbolic and literal) and a city at the centre of power struggles, whether within the Arabian Peninsula, or of the wider world.
The book is objective and well-researched, the writing is engaging with deft inter-weaving of anecdotes, research, as well as the author’s own views.
Mecca’s history during the Prophet’s time and after his death is volatile. It had always been coveted as the city to rule, with men believing that control over the city meant greater power. Hence, much of the history here, after the death of the Prophets and the time of the Caliphs, tells of violence, bloodshed, and carnage, as leader after leader sought to win control over Mecca.
Amidst all the power struggles, the author also delves into the role that Mecca played as a centre for trade, knowledge, and culture. Mecca’s growth as a city is also described. Indeed, in the earlier times of peace, Mecca enjoyed its status as a city of learning, debates, art and culture. Differing views, even on religion, were permitted, and it was in Mecca that the four Schools of Thought: Shafie, Hanbali, Maliki, and Hanafi were established. But as the decades wore on, conservative forces exerted more influence.
When we come to the later chapters, the author dwells on the Hajj and the arrangements for pilgrims. Unfortunately, according to the author, many of the Hajj Research Centre’s proposals to improve the safety and flow of pilgrims to Mecca were not entertained by the government, and the author recounts all the needless tragedies that have taken place during the Hajj season.
The final chapter is shrouded in gloom for the current state of Mecca - notably the destruction of historic sites that have taken place and the “soulless” development that is taking over the city. In the writer’s mind, the history of the city has been demolished, and with it, the city’s ties to its spiritual and cultural heart.
You can agree or disagree with the author. What is indisputable is that this book is a thorough examination of the most important city in the Islamic world and is a fascinating read for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

[Elgin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful introduction to the long, complicated, bloody history of Mecca. Mecca, which centers around the Kaaba, reputedly build by Abraham, is the historical center of Islam and is supposed to be a place of peace and neutrality for all Muslims. As its history shows, nothing is further from the truth. Mecca has a long and violent history as illustrated by Sharif's, wanna-be Sharif's, and different Muslim sects, etc. who have spilled rivers of blood, both surrounding and in the city, in fighting for dominance. In the latest chapter of this saga the ibn-Sauds came to power and have forced their Wahabi beliefs on Meccans and others, and as a by product done irreparable damage to the historical heritage of the city in the name of modernization and finance. Overall this was a pretty depressing and disturbing account of Islam and Mecca, but I did learn a lot. Like Christianity, Islam has not lacked for extremists who want to tell everyone else what to believe and how to live, usually cherry-picking out of context passages from their holy books to justify an idiotic and hateful position.

Sardar clearly does not have a good opinion of Saudi rulers and their vision for Mecca. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this to anyone who is curious about Muslim history and about the way present Muslim society has evolved.

One thing that would have made the book more enjoyable for me is more maps. There is one map in the preface, but often places or pilgrimage routes or battle sites were absent. A large map of the Middle East, North Africa, Asia Minor, etc. and then maps focusing on smaller areas would have been very helpful.

[Sachin Ravikumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mecca: The Sacred City is a monumental achievement in which Ziauddin Sardar, a scholar of Islamic and Haj studies, dons the historian's hat to chronicle a history spanning more than two millenia. Sardar starts off with a touch of memoir, with his love for Mecca evident, but finishes with a stinging indictment of Saudi expansionism and disregard for the city's history.

Sardar paints a rather poignant but passionate portrait in his history of Mecca as he tells its story from pagan times to today. Mecca's time in between, following the advent and spread of Islam, is defined by ever-brewing power struggles and all-out war, with intermittent periods of relative peace. But the author's polemic in the final chapter -- an analysis of Saudi mismanagement that has caused a severe identity crisis for Islam's holiest city -- surely seems graver than the centuries of bloody violence that the city has seen.

The crisis, as seen by the author since the 1970s, is centered on the demolition of almost everything the Meccans consider history - a purge of the city's storied past along with the rise of ugly skyscrapers that dwarf in size Islam's holiest cube, and a profound breakdown of custom and social relations for the city founded by Abraham's son.

Read my full review here:

[Vera Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Muslim I saw Makkah through rose-tinted glasses. That it is the peaceful place all Muslims should aspire to go. I visited the city once when I was young, so I was not able to fully comprehend the sanctity of the journey. Still seeing the Kaaba was an otherworldly experience. I even dreamed of moving to Makkah so I can pray everyday at the Masjidil Haram and hopefully be discouraged from committing sins simply by being there lol.
As I grew up I began to question the frequent Umra trips done by the many people around me (sometimes by getting into debt). If there really is God should not God be omnipresent? Does one's geographic location really matters for God to answer his/her prayer? And even during my visit to Makkah, I noticed how jarring it was once you stepped out of the Masjidil Haram you would be surrounded by towering buildings with mall and expensive hotels. I also remember seing many beggars (mostly Africans) in the city. Long story short, all this does not make me particularly excited to visit the Holy City again.
As this book perfectly captured, like any other cities Makkah is extremely complex with its sacred as well as profane. I was completely ignorant of what actually happened, the bloody power struggles it has witnessed throughout time. Makkah the city may be far from ideal, but there is another Makkah the one that is beyond geographic location: a state of consciousness where we turned to God.

[Zyad · Rating 5 out of 5]

لماذا نقرأ عن مكة ومن المهم أن نهتم بقبلتنا؟
هذا كان السؤال الأول الذي خطر ببال الباحث الباكستاني البريطاني ضياء الدين سردار بعد أنا عمل لمدة أربع سنوات في مكتب الإستشارات للحج في مكة و جدة في فترة سبعينيات القرن الماضي
مادفع الكاتب لهذا العمل الرائع هو التحولات الخطيرة التي تشهدها مكة في السنوات الأخيرة من تحولات عمرانية خطيرة من هدم للمعالم الأثرية لبيوت الصحابة وزوجات الرسول وتحويل مكة لمدينة رأسمالية عصرية على غرار مدن كوزموبوليتانية أخرى كلندن وباريس وفقدانها لهويتها وروحها التي من الواجب العودة لها
والسرد الزمني المتسلسل في الكتاب مهم لفهم كيفية تحول القيم والعادات عبر القرون في مكة منذ سيدنا أدم الى يومنا هذا
سنجد في الكتاب من التاريخ والجغرافيا والمعمار والفن وأدب الرحلات والشعر والسياسة والفلسفة والقصص المروية وغيرها الكثير
ولطالما كانت مكة مهوى أفئدة المسلمين و هدف المستشرقين والغزاة لبعدها الزماني والمكاني في مسيرة الحضارات والآن بالسياسات الحداثية قد تصبح مكة كأي مدينة أخرى لا تتفاضل عنها بشئ

[Marius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Mecca is one of the world's great cities. It has beautiful and rich history, which is connected with all Middle East region and even Europe. So, to read this book is like to discover these places again, only in different perception.

Author helps us to understand better #Islam, destorys ingrained stereotypes and shows what is happening in the Middle East now.

It is very easy to read and has a lot of interesting facts about dometstic life of the Sacred City. I have to say that I enjoyed every page; my favorite story was about "rebellious donkey Genghis."

Everyone must read this book!!!

[Hussain salman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is eye opening to things that are visible in broad daylight yet ignored. So much has happened in Makkah (Mecca) that the book left me wanting to look more into its history and significance.

A better appreciation of peace pilgrims enjoy in the Al-Saud era is warranted. This stands out in contrast to their disregard to preserving the sanctuary's history intact or Hijaz's ways of life for centuries. The author leaves a few questions for the reader thus leading me to more books to read.

A good read that left me wanting to know more.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compared to the histories of other centers of faith (the imperial glory of Rome, the indomitability of Jerusalem), reading a history of Mecca fills one with astonishment and horror. This is more than a city of ambiguity and contradictions; this is a city craving triumph, yet entwined with disaster. Ziauddin Sardar's book is a superb look at a spiritual urban mystery, wrapped in an enigma, surrounded by glitz, built on a foundation of smashed bones.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ziauddin Sardar weaves a wonderful telling of the history of the city of Mecca. The rich history of the Sacred City was masterfully told though I would have liked to have heard more about the important women in history who visited and those who contributed to the citizens survival.

[5H3MS · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad

[Ivdad Ahmed Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, historical overview of the sacred city. Loved the portrayal!

[Yash Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mecca : The heart of Islam and birthplace of prophet muhammad (PBUH )
-----------------------------------------------------------


1) Other than the introduction this book is divided into the following eleven chapters :-

* The valley of weeping

* ' I love Thee more than the entire world '

* Rebellions at God's earthly throne

* Sharifs, sultans and sectarians

* Love and fratricide in the holy City

* The caravans of precious gifts

* The wahhabi threat

* Camels, Indians and feudal Queens

* Western visitors, Arab garb

* Mecca under the Saudis

* The reconfigured Utopia

2) In this book the author tells us about the history of Mecca, how prophet muhammad overthrowed the status quo and established islam, about the various caliphs of islam, the various dynasties who once ruled Mecca, about the sharifs of Mecca, conquest of Mecca by the ottoman empire, struggle of various European powers to control Mecca, the alliance between the Saud family and Wahhabism, the accounts of various travellers who visited the holy city and their view point about the meccans, and the author's own experience of Mecca and his criticism of Saudi family.

3) Mecca or Makkah whatever you call is the birthplace of islam and also of the prophet muhammad. Infact it is obligatory for a muslim to visit Mecca once-in-a lifetime and perform the hajj there.

4) But the history of mecca predates the Islam and the city is mentioned in various ancient texts. But it came into prominence when prophet Ibrahim build the kaaba with the help of his son Ismael. And afterwards the people of Arabia started visiting the sacred place and installed various idols for their worship.

5) Infact kaaba becames a source of revenue for the native meccans and there is rampant corruption among the elites of Mecca who are happy in counting their money rather than on wellbeing of pilgrims.

6) And this nepotism changed when prophet muhammad received the enlightenment from the god itself. He was against nepotism, corruption, slavery, bullying of orphans and most importantly he was against the idol worship.

7) When prophet started preaching his message of unity, brotherhood, equality, the elites of mecca realized that if muhammad succeeded in his mission than their monopoly over the kaaba will get jeopardize. So they planned to kill him, but prophet escape from mecca to Yathrib.

8) Yathrib the city few miles away from mecca welcomed prophet and his companions with open arms and Infact the city changed it's name from Yathrib to Medinat al-nabi, the city of the prophet, or Medina for Short.

9) It was the Medina which became the first capital of islam and prophet muhammad Became it's both religious and political head. It was in Medina where the prophet established the various rituals of islam, and created a heterogeneous community which comprised not only Muslims but Jews, christians and other tribes of Arabia.

10) When the prophet established himself in Medina, the elites of mecca started torturing his followers in Mecca and some of his followers was brutally killed by the meccans. But this tyranny was ended after prophet and his army defeated the meccans and takes the city of mecca under their control. And those who initially opposed him accepted Islam as their new religion.

11) But after the death of prophet the same meccans elite who considered themselves as of superior race raised their heads. When Abu bakr succeeded prophet, as the first caliph (successor) of islam, the meccans supported him because he is also an meccan, infact the second caliph Omar, the third caliph Othman, they all were meccans, but it changed when Ali ( cousin and son-in-law of prophet) was elected as the fourth caliph and since he has more supporters in Medina as compared to mecca, the elites of mecca opposed his candidature as the fourth caliph.

12) To remove Ali from the position of caliph, meccans raiged a war against him, but ali defeated them and remained caliph for sometime. But after his death the elite of mecca selected ' Muawiya ' as the next caliph and he established the ' Umayyad dyansty' and became it's first caliph.

13) To convince the rest of meccans Muawiya started the development of mecca and he ruled not from Mecca but established his capital in Damascus.

14) After the death of Muawiya he was succeeded by his son yazid-1, but the grandson of abu bakr, Ibn Zubair, and the son of ali, Hussain, opposed the candidature of yazid-1 as a Caliph.

15) later Hussain fought a war against the yazid and his forces but in this  process his army was trapped by the yazid in a place called Karbala (in Iraq) and his whole family was brutally killed by the yazid. And after that the muslim community divided into two parts, one who called themselves sunnis and the other calls themselves Shia's or the followers of Ali and his family.

16) Although the Umayyad Dynasty ruled over meccans but they were removed from the power by another meccan elite who claimed their ancestory to the Prophet's uncle Abbas ibn Abd al- muttalib, and considered themselves as the true successor of prophet muhammad.

17) After overthrowing the Umayyad Dynasty, the Abbasid rulers shifted the capital from Damascus to Baghdad.

18) Some historians describe the period of "Abbasid caliphate" as the intellectual and cultural revolution in the Muslim Civilization, when the utmost importance was given to philosophy and science rather than on theology or orthodoxy.

19) And to govern mecca, both the umayyad's and abbasid's caliphs tried to appoint the governor of mecca from the family of prophet muhammad.

20) After the discussion they appointed those who claims descent from Ali and Fatima, and they came to be known as 'Sharifs' ( The people of the house of the prophet ).

21) In mecca various sharifs came one after another. But most sharifs were considered corrupt by the people of mecca, but there are few exceptions who developed Mecca and the sacred mosque. As the power of sharifs increased tremendously, but it changed when the Ottomans captured Egypt and later Mecca and Medina became a part of the ottoman empire. And the ottoman sultans was considered as caliphs.

22) As the various European powers were competed with each other to monopolize the trade in the Indian ocean and India, and to retain their supremacy they have to control the red Sea which gave them direct access to India and the east countries. And their dream was fulfilled during the first world war when the last sharif of Mecca i.e Hussain sharif supported the allies and declared the war against the ottoman sultan. He declared himself as the king of Hijaz and Arabia, and he received the support of Britain and France.

23) But There was a 18th century religious scholar muhammad ibn Abd al-wahhab, and according to him those muslims who venerate Sufi saints, visits tombs and Shia's are all heretics and should be killed. But his Orthodox teachings were rejected by the meccans, but he found a partner in the city of Najd where a man by the name of muhammad ibn saud, ruler of Najd, enters into a religious and political Alliance with him and his followers.

24) Infact the followers of wahhab tried to capture Mecca by force many times but they were defeated by the Ottomans.

25) But after the end of the first world war when the ottoman empire was dissolved and the states like Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine came into it's being, the combining army of saud and wahhab attacked and captured the mecca and later the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established with Riyad as it's capital and Wahhabism it's Creed.

26) In the last chapter of this book the author described his own experience of mecca and it's surrounding, he Strong criticized the Saudi government for destroying the natural beauty of mecca and converting the holiest city of islam into a jungle of concrete and Steel.

27) The Author had done a tremendous amount of research before writing this book, he stayed in Saudi Arabia for few years, travelled in and around mecca and criticized Saudis for their hypocrisy.

28) I will surely recommend this wonderful book to the Readers, and whoever read this book irrespective of his/her religion will enlighten himself/herself with the history of the most holiest city of islam. The language of the book is not tough and there are also some photos of kaaba and the old Streets of mecca present in this book.

My ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ( 5/5 )

I hope you like the review, thanks for reading, Jai Hind.

[Kaj Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Game of Meccan Thrones

Hartstochtelijk geschreven pleidooi om de fysieke stad Mekka te demystificeren als het onwrikbare epicentrum van de islam. Liberale theoloog/geschiedkundige Ziauddin Sardar duikt in het rijke verleden van machtswisselingen, politieke invloeden van buitenaf en beslissende momenten waarop het islamitische geloof vorm kreeg. Beeldend beschreven met het oog voor detail en de welkome humoristische knipoog van een enthousiasmerende historicus. Geschiedenis is op zijn interessantst als het de shakespeareaanse duisternis weerspiegelt van kleurrijke historische figuren en hun vaak gewelddadige machtsblokken. Het werk is dan ook een schatkamer aan verwijzingen naar bekende iconische figuren (profeet Mohammed, Salahedinne) maar evengoed naar zoveel andere historische namen die -in meer of mindere mate- de loop van de Mekkaanse geschiedenis hebben bepaald. Het bloed heeft rijkelijk gevloeid in de straten van Mekka.

Suspense volle blockbuster, gesteund door gedegen research en feitenkennis: met contrasterende of elkaar aanvullende getuigenverslagen, vele verwijzingen naar historische teksten, of meer hedendaagse historische inzichten. Daarmee schetst Sardar een prozaisch, levendig beeld van de schaduwzijde van een symbolische stad, die zo diep ingebed is in de collectieve verbeelding van de wereldwijde islamitische geloofsgemeenschap (de Ummah). Sardar weet steeds interessante nieuwe invalshoeken te vinden als het teveel een opsomming dreigt te worden van wie er wie vermoordde in welk jaartal. Over bedoeïenenstammen die een rijke geschiedenis hebben van het overvallen van hordes pelgrims. Over fundamentalistische takken van de islam die eigenlijk al vanaf het prille begin hun macht proberen op te leggen aan de gevestigde orde. Over sultans, sharifs, emirs en andere leiders die decadente gebouwen ontwierpen om een blijvend stempel op de geschiedenis te drukken. Over Europeaanse spionnen die infiltreren in Mekka om hun oriëntaalse fantasieën te toetsen aan de werkelijkheid.

Sardars' rijke geschiedenisles is hoogst politiek actueel. De onaanraakbare heiligheid van Mekka leidt tot een fiat voor tegenwoordige machtshebbers - de Saudi - om de stad te monopoliseren in een vreemde mengeling van kapitalistische exploitatie met wahabitische islam. Historische plekken worden weggevaagd voor sterresorts en publieke voorzieningen. Andere geloofstakken worden gediscrimineerd, buitengesloten en weggehouden bij de werkelijke machtsvelden (overigens óók een terugkerende traditie in de geschiedenis) Tegelijkertijd leiden gebrekkige infrastructuur en mismanagement tot levensgevaarlijke situaties voor de overdaad aan moderne pelgrims die de plek jaarlijks bezoeken. Een jaar na verschijnen van dit boek stierven er bijvoorbeeld meer dan 700 hadji door vertrapping en instortende bouwwerken. Ook in het moderne Mekka is weinig heilig.

Punt van kritiek is dat Ziauddin Sardar blijft benadrukken dat hij nog steeds een rol weggelegd ziet voor de islam in het moderne leven, terwijl het boek weinig aanleiding geeft om vertrouwen te hebben in systemen die rond islamitisch gedachtegoed gebouwd zijn. Mekka zelf lijkt in ieder geval heen en weer geslingerd te zijn tussen xenofobe, agressieve, buiten sluitende en koloniale machtsblokken vanuit de islamitische wereld. De islam kwam tot leven na machtsblokken tegen de heersende polytheïstische machten, maar echt veel vreedzamer en toleranter is (voornamelijk) de Arabische wereld er niet op geworden. Wellicht dat je deze geschiedenis over Mekka moet lezen tegen de context van zijn eerder gepubliceerde werk, want zo op zichzelf is het een weinig hoopgevend stemmend relaas over islam door heden en verleden van de mensheid.

[Peter Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Mecca: The Sacred City,” by Ziauddin Sardar (Bloomsbury, 2014). Sardar apparently is one of the premier Muslim intellectuals, born in Pakistan, educated in England, currently at the University of Chicago. This, for me, is a deeply disturbing book. Sardar recounts the history of the city of Mecca from pre-Islamic times to the current Saudi domination. And with it he recounts the history of Islam. Without my going into the details, he describes a political religion that has wonderful, peaceful tenets at its core but that has been torn apart again and again by brutal rivalries and factionalism. Almost from the moment of Muhammad’s death Muslims have been fighting and slaughtering one another, over questions of who is the true successor to Muhammad (Sunni=the caliph; Shia=descendants of the Prophet), how strictly the Koran and hadiths must be followed, who will be in charge. Time and again the victorious side massacres the losers. They seem never to be satisfied with victory: they must wipe out the opposing side. The tremendous expansion of the first century came against weak, deteriorating empires and states. Europe was not even an afterthought. It barely existed through the years of Muslim power. Even the crusades were almost ignored while Muslims fought among themselves—until Saladin defeated his rivals and then drove out the Crusaders. There were centuries of glorious accomplishments and learning, of tolerance and acceptance of difference, but they were usually followed by something far worse. Through it all, Mecca itself was not a major city; it was the place the believer visited and then left. Its inhabitants tended to be insular, cruel, bigoted, backward, and the city itself was often a mess, although the Kaaba and its surroundings were treated well and expanded over the centuries. There was frequent warfare over who controlled the city. Today, Sardar says, the city has been overwhelmed by Saudi materialism and Wahhabi fanaticism, building huge, grotesque buildings while bulldozing ancient, sacred sites. He himself thinks that Islam needs to be fixed, moved away from the current fundamentalism. I find this very dispiriting, since he seems to be saying that Islam itself—or at least the way it has been practiced and manifested itself for centuries---is violent, intolerant and deeply resistant to change. This was written before ISIS, but I can now see why there are some who argue that ISIS represents the true face of Islam. Depressing.

http://ziauddinsardar.com/2014/09/mec...

[Plof · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this book quite a bit. It is an accessible, fun narrative about the events, personalities, and governances in Mecca from before the start of Islam to the present. It's a personal story too, as Sardar himself spent several years as a part of the Hajj Research Centre in Jeddah in the 70s and made the pilgrimage to Mecca multiple times. The parts where he shares his experiences (esp. in the first and end parts of the book) are one of the most interesting ones.

The twofold approach to Mecca -- one as an imagined paradise on earth, something that Sardar grew up looking at through picture, hearing and fantasizing about, and another as an actual locale where individuals (tribes, the Prophet and his families, adversaries and supporters, rebels and saints, scholars and jurists, kings of dynasties and sharif rulers in Mecca) lived and struggled -- gives the book a targeted and intriguing entry point. The contradictions between the two Meccas (one as an ideal and the other as a historic place) seem to embroil Sardar almost in a love-and-hate relationship with Mecca. Clearly he's highly disappointed at the political intrigues and bloodbath that characterized Mecca's past and the destruction of the city's cultural/historical heritage in the modern period.

Content-wise, there's an interesting description of Mecca as a pilgrimage site for polytheist practices and a central marketplace on caravan trade routes, before the time of the Prophet Muhammad. These two aspects in a way get carried over and expanded in the following centuries, even as the rooting of Islam radically eliminated such traditions. Though Mecca has never been a political capital of Islamic states, Sardar nicely captures how various dynasties tried to access symbolic power by gaining loyalties of Mecca's residents, pilgrims, and rulers, which complicated political scene in the city. There are also a number of travelogues that Sardar draws on, which are useful references: including Naser-e Khosraw's Book of Travels (11th c.), travels of Ibn Jubayr (12th c.), Ibn Arabi's Meccan Revelations (13th c), and accounts of western visitors/intelligence gatherers in later periods. But sometimes Sardar would make factual statements without references, and at times seems biased against the Shia.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mecca by Ziauddin Sardar

Ziauddin's attempt at chronicling the history of one of the most revered and holy sites for humanity turns out to be an engaging read. His profound love for the celestial Makkah is manifested from the outset of the book, whilst his loathing for the political machinations that Makkah underwent after the Prophet's (SAW) time can be traced throughout the book.

Zia is someone who does not appear to be indifferent to the onslaught of heretical/puritanical dogmas infused with political ambitions that hold the hold land in its clutches presently. He provides an overview of how the house of Saud came into being; and how the fanatic preacher Abdl Wahab in the sixteenth century formed a pact with the house of Saud to provide a legitimate cover for their consolidation of power over the Najd region, and how their repeated attempts at the conquest of Hijaz were thwarted by the Sharifs - the ruling elite in Makkah -with the help from the Ottomans.

He also decries over the haphazard rebuilding of Makkah in the late twentieth century, driven by the obsession of the Saudi rulers - financed by the petrodollars of course - to westernize the entire region, thereby making Makkah a miniature version of Houston, even if the inappropriate restructuring plans meant frequent accidents and hapless deaths of the pilgrims.

[Noorhaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started consuming this book with nothing more than cursory knowledge of Mecca's history during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), what little I remembered of my umrah when I was 11 years old, and a general understanding of tribal-centric sentiment that has dictated Middle-Eastern politics since time immemorial.

What I have taken away is that the Holy City remained caught in a terrible cycle of power struggles typical of the region, and its fortunes heavily dependent on those who wielded the proverbial sceptre and the sword. In light of the recent bombing close to the Nabawi Mosque in Madina, it becomes clear that the cycle has not come to an end.

The holiness of Mecca is perceived largely through the eyes of its pilgrims who pour into the valley to soak in the presence of divinity on earth, and then return home shortly thereafter. Sadly, to many of its custodians - then and now - it is little more than a cash cow and a symbol of recognition and entitlement.

An illuminating read, at the end of which I was left a little broken-hearted. What would the Prophet think?