Ziyarat in Makkah: the places worth your time

The places where the Seerah began are a short drive from the Haram. A morning or two between prayers covers most of them.

Jabal al-Nour and the Cave of Hira

North-east of the Haram, the mountain where the first verses of the Quran came down to the Prophet ﷺ, in the Cave of Hira near its summit. The path is steep steps all the way: allow about an hour to climb, and set off straight after Fajr, before the heat. Wear good shoes and carry water. It is not a climb for the elderly or anyone with a weak heart.

At its foot, the Hira Cultural District is worth a visit even if you don't climb:

• The Revelation Exhibition tells the story of revelation, from the earlier prophets to the Prophet ﷺ, in sound and image.
• The Holy Quran Museum shows how the Quran was written down and preserved through the centuries.
• Gardens, a library, cafés and a museum of Saudi coffee.

The exhibition and the museum open around the clock, except on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Jabal Thawr

South of the city, the mountain where the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr hid in a cave for three nights at the start of the Hijrah to Madinah. The Quran recalls it: "the second of two, when they were in the cave" (At-Tawbah 9:40). The climb is longer and harder than Hira's, and most visitors see it from the foot.

Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina

East of the city, the sites of the Hajj. Outside the season they are quiet, and a morning by car takes you through all three: the tent city of Mina, Muzdalifah, and the plain of Arafat with Jabal al-Rahmah at its edge. If you hope to come back for Hajj, you'll know the ground before you do.

Masjid Aisha at Al-Tan'eem

On the edge of the Haram's boundary, about 7 km north-west of the mosque, where Aisha entered ihram for an Umrah at the Prophet's ﷺ word. Pilgrims staying in Makkah who want to make another Umrah put on their ihram here.

Al-Ji'ranah

Further out, about 25 km north-east, where the Prophet ﷺ entered ihram for Umrah after the Battle of Hunayn. Its mosque is a quieter place to put on ihram, away from the crowds at Al-Tan'eem.

The Kiswa complex

In Umm al-Joud, about 10 km from the Haram, the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa is where the Kaaba's black silk cover is woven and embroidered in gold thread. It welcomes Muslim visitors from Monday to Thursday, 8 to 11 a.m.

Jannat al-Mu'alla

Makkah's old cemetery, in Al-Hajun north of the Haram, where Khadijah, the Prophet's ﷺ first wife, is buried with many of his family. A visit is a greeting of peace and a du'a for those buried there, as the Prophet ﷺ taught.

Fitting it in

Keep the visits for the mornings between Fajr and Dhuhr. A taxi or a ride-hailing app takes you to each place, and many hotels can arrange a car and driver for half a day. Avoid Fridays and the last ten nights of Ramadan, when the roads around the Haram are at their busiest.

None of these visits is part of Umrah. Put the prayers in the Haram first, and fit the visits around them.