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Because there is the sanctuary of Ka’bah, built in the second millennium BC. According to Islamic tradition, Ka’bah is the only place on Earth touched by celestial forces. It was also in Mecca that Mohammed (570-652), founder of the Islamic religion, was born and buried. Located in Saudi Arabia, the city was already a stopping point for caravans and a commercial center long before the birth of the prophet. But the Mohammedans, also called Muslims (today around 1.2 billion people spread around the world), made it their capital.
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By the precepts of religion, every believer has the duty to visit the city at least once before dying. Also, wherever he is, he has to pray five times a day facing there. “There is also the Friday midday prayer, which needs to be done in a mosque, always built pointing towards Mecca”, says Helmi Nasr, professor of oriental languages at USP.