Hejaz
The Hejaz is a historical region in the Arabian Peninsula, making up western Saudi Arabia. It is bordered in the west by the Red Sea, in the north by Jordan and the Gulf of Aqaba, in the east by the Najd region, and in extends south to the city of Ta'if. The Hejaz Mountains run through the region, and its largest city is Jeddah.
Notable for being the location of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the first and second holiest sites in Islam, the Hejaz has spiritual, cultural, economic and touristic importance. The Hejaz is the most populated region in Saudi Arabia, and Arabic is the biggest language, with Hejazi Arabic being the most spoken dialect. The Hejaz was where the Islamic prophet Muhammad was born, leading to the spread of Islam. The Hejaz would become under the rule of multiple caliphates and empires, becoming an independent kingdom ruled by the Hashemites from 1916 until 1926 when Saudi Arabia conquered it.
The region has four important cities:
- Jeddah is the largest city and is in the middle of the Red Sea coast. Jeddah is the economic and tourism capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Mecca is the holy city for Muslims because of Al-Haram Mosque and Al-Kaaba. Muslims face the city when they pray, and millions go there every year for the Hajj, the main Muslim pilgrimage.
- Medina is the second most holy city and was the first capital of Islam. It has the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad, where the Prophet Muhammad lived. There are many monuments and historical places.
- Ta'if is the youngest city, only a little more than two and a half thousand years old. It is a tourist city in Saudi Arabia because the climate is cooler than the region's other cities.
