Mecca

American  

[mek-uh] / ˈmɛk ə /

noun

1. Also Mekka; Makkah a city in and the capital of Hejaz, in western Saudi Arabia: birthplace of Muhammad; spiritual center of Islam.

2. (often lowercase) any place that many people visit or hope to visit.

   The president's birthplace is a mecca for his admirers.

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Mecca British  

/ ˈmɛkə /

noun

1. Arabic name: Makkah.  a city in W Saudi Arabia, joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia: birthplace of Mohammed; the holiest city of Islam, containing the Kaaba. Pop: 1 529 000 (2005 est)

2. (sometimes not capital) a place that attracts many visitors

   Athens is a Mecca for tourists

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Mecca ¹ Cultural  

1. The birthplace of Muhammad, and thus the holiest city for Muslims. Muslims face in the direction of Mecca when they pray, and they are expected to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives. Mecca is in present-day Saudi Arabia.

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Mecca ² Cultural  

1. City in western Saudi Arabia.

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Discover More

Figuratively, a “mecca” is any place that attracts a great many people, especially for a particular reason: “Vail is a mecca for skiers.”

As the place where Mohammed the prophet was born in the sixth century, it is the holiest city of Islam and the destination of numerous Muslim pilgrims.

A “mecca” is a place that attracts people: “Hollywood is a mecca for would-be actors and actresses.”

Other Word Forms

• Meccan adjective

Explanation

A mecca is a place that attracts people to it. The huge outlet mall near your hometown is a mecca for shoppers and bargain hunters. When it's capitalized, Mecca is the holiest city for Muslims, the place where Muhammad was born. Observant Muslims believe it's important to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at some point in their lives. Because this city near the Red Sea draws so many visitors every year, the word mecca gradually came to mean "place where people really want to go." So you might describe Las Vegas as a mecca for gamblers and Cirque du Soleil fans. The original Arabic word is Makkah.

Example Sentences

For decades, Saudi Arabia played an outsize role thanks to its vast oil production and its special status in Islam as home to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Alhaji Zaharaddeen Abubakar is one of those stranded in the northern Nigerian city of Kano after buying plane tickets and securing accommodation in Mecca.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Some reported that he made a pilgrimage to Islam's holiest site in Mecca and adopted the name Abdul Rahman - Arabic for "servant of the merciful Lord" - although evidence is unclear, Gilham added.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

In 2016, Philadelphia razed another skateboard Mecca, known as Love Park.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

My thinking had been opened up wide in Mecca.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey