Mecca and Cairo

Why was the city founded?

Mecca (Ancient)—The story behind Mecca is that Adam and Eve wandered the Earth, and came together in the city of Mecca around 200 BC. Over 1000 years later Abraham moved his family to Mecca, according to Islamic tradition. The prophet Muhammed was born in Mecca, raising Mecca to a significant status. It is now considered the holiest place in the religion of Islam, which Muhammed dedicated. Muslims are expected to travel to the city of Mecca sometime in their life to offer prayers. It is where the mosque Ka’ba is located.

Cairo (Modern)—Cairo was first a military encampment in 641 AD. A few hundred years later, an Islamic sect named the Fatimids became the rulers of Egypt, and Cairo became their capital. From the 13^th to the 15^th century, it was one of the greatest cities for trade. It has been consistently modernized since circa 1830 when modernization of Cairo first accelerated.

How did geography play a role in the siting of the city?

Mecca (Ancient)—Situated in a low-altitude area of present day Saudi Arabia, Mecca lies fifty miles from the Red Sea. There isn’t much accommodating geography to encourage placing a city at Mecca. Its climate is hot, there isn’t much plant or animal life, and low annual rainfall numbers means that it is not a very hospitable location; however, its relationship to religious artifacts (the Ka’bah and birthplace of Muhammad in particular) means that it was—and continues to be—an important place for Islamic and pagan ritual. It was also located along the lines of an important trade route at the time, which allowed the city to grow.

Cairo (Modern)—Located on the banks of the Nile, the city depends on the river for a water source as well as fertile ground. Irrigation systems stemming from the Nile have allowed Cairo to flourish and expand as a city. Because the Nile shifts its course over time, some parts of the city have retreated further from the river, while others have grown closer. Access to the Nile also allows Cairo to prosper as an important port city. Since lands beyond the Nile are largely uninhabitable desert, Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

How was the city layed out?

Mecca (Ancient)—Mecca’s expansion as a city is limited by natural boundaries. Nestled in “the hollow of Mecca,” the city lies in a corridor between two mountain ranges, in three low-elevation valleys. Water channels built underneath the city linked the city’s most important resource to two springs in the surrounding mountains. The sacred mosque, Masjid al-Haram, lies at the heart of the city, the central point from which the city grew outward. Several undeveloped plains lie just outside the mosque as makeshift camping areas for pilgrims, and beyond that is Old Mecca. Once a residential neighborhood, Old Mecca now includes wide avenues, plazas, and other public spaces, with surrounding two- and three-story homes.

Cairo (Modern)—Greater Cairo extends away from the Nile in a metropolis in all directions, though the city of Cairo resides only on the east bank of the Nile (it also includes two islands within the Nile that have been exposed over time through shifts in water flow). Although the city itself was founded along the banks of the river, the older parts of Cairo are further away from the banks, and the newer districts closer, as a result of a westward shift in the river. This shift was compounded by changes in water level from the early infrastructure of levees and dams, which worked to provide more usable land area. The city’s growth was facilitated by an extensive road network that has existed for several centuries, and now connects suburbs on all sides, including the city of Giza. With the population reaching fifteen million, urban planners are dissatisfied with the ten satellite suburbs’ lack of organization, a mid-twentieth century attempt to draw Cairenes out of the city center. In comparison to the internationally recommended 20 square meters of green space per person, Cairenes enjoy only 1.65 square meters. The city has grown up in accommodation of a housing appetite rather than one for public space.

How did culture influence the city and how did the city influence the culture?

Mecca (Ancient)—Located western Saudi Arabia near Jiddah, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, Islam pervades Mecca. Islamic views penetrate the culture, therefore influencing the city itself through the construction of mosques and restaurants, as well as through efforts to preserve sacred sites. Mecca houses the Masjid al-Haram, the huge mosque and pilgrimage site that can host seven hundred thousand people at one time. Outside of Mecca itself, Muslims around the world face Mecca during their daily prayers and one of the key tenets of Islam is a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a Muslim's life (known as Hajj). As a result, ten million Muslims visit Mecca annually, transforming the city into a tourist place. This influx of visitors requires a great deal of logistical planning by the Saudi government; hotels and other services in the city are stretched to their limits during the pilgrimage. Mecca itself is off-limits to all non-Muslims; road blocks are stationed along roads leading to the city.

Because of the many different ethnicities and nationalities amongst Mecca residents, Mecca has been described as a place with international cuisine rather than simply providing traditional fare. Because of the pilgrimage voyages to Mecca, the city has many fast food chains that cater both to locals and pilgrimages. The city lacks any public transportation options for residents and visitors alike, both during and outside of the pilgrimage season. The main transportation options available for travel within and around the city are either personal vehicles or private taxis. The Meccan economy has been heavily dependent on the annual pilgrimage.

Cairo (Modern)—Cairo means “The vanquisher” or “The Conqueror” capital of Egypt. Egypt's love of the arts can be traced back to the rich heritage bequeathed by the Pharaohs. In modern times, Egypt has enjoyed a strong cinematic tradition since the art of filmmaking was first developed early in the 20th century. A natural progression from the active theatre scene of the time, cinema rapidly evolved into a vast motion picture industry. Cairo culture reflects Islamic tradition in the form of mosques, museums, galleries, and the live forms of music and dance.

Cairo has been ruled by Persians, Pharaohs, Romans, Arabian caliphs, British colonials and more, and has nurtured the establishment of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions. 

Transportation in Cairo includes an extensive road network, rail system, subway systems, and road transportation; coupled with extreme population density, Cairo traffic is overwhelming and overcrowded.

The people of Egypt are Cairenes. Many people are poor, employed in factories or small shops. Most middle class and the wealthy live in Garden City, on the islands, or in the suburbs. Most Cairenes live in apartment buildings. Only the wealthy can afford to live in free-standing houses because space is difficult to find. Because the majority of people in Egypt are Muslim, Egyptian government offices and business observe Friday as the day of rest. Many government offices are open Sunday through Thursday, and most universities and some private schools also hold classes Sunday through Thursday, and are closed Friday and Saturday. Like many other societies in the Mediterranean region, lunch is the main meal of the day, eaten at about two or three o'clock in the afternoon. Muslims do not eat pork, so most Egyptian food does not include pork products. The rich history of Cairo now constitutes a major tourist attraction—the Great Pyramids of Giza, ancient temples, tombs, Christian churches, Muslim monuments, and the Egyptian Antiquities Museum all lie either within or on the outskirts of the city.

What allowed the city to grow, flourish, and decline (if it did)?

Mecca (Ancient)—Located on multiple trade routes, Mecca had a perfect commercial location, and became an important center for trade by the 7^th century, flourishing with an influx of people. Surrounding local tribes warred constantly during most of the early centuries, but once a year they would declare a truce to meet in Mecca for an annual pilgrimage. The journey to Mecca was intended for religious reasons by pagan Arabs to pay homage to their shrine, and drink from the Zamzam well. This time also allowed for debts to be resolved and for trade to take place. By doing so, the tribes gained a sense of common identity, making Mecca an important focus for the peninsula. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1916, the local rulers established the Hashemite Kingdom of Hejaz, absorbed by the Saudis in 1925. Mecca has been expanding in size and infrastructure ever since.

Cairo (Modern)—Located upstream from the Nile River, Cairo has been a focal point since ancient Egypt. Around the 4^th Century, the Romans established a fortress town along the east bank of the Nile, called Babylon, which became an important Christian enclave within Cairo. Cairo was the center of Islamic scholarship and a crossroads on the spice trade route between Europe and Asia. Later, Cairo became a center for learning, containing a library with hundreds of thousands of books and also a university, which is now the third oldest in the world. Today, Cairo is the capital of Egypt, though its political history extends back to 1250, when the Mamluks seized Egypt and named Cairo as their capital. Many of the buildings were sold and demolished and replaced by newer buildings, contributing to the city’s expansion.