Mecca The Sacred City (Hardcover)

In this captivating book, Ziauddin Sardar unravels the significance of Mecca. Tracing its history-from its origins as a "barren valley" in the desert to its evolution as a trading town and sudden emergence as the religious center of a world empire-Sardar examines the reli- gious struggles and rebellions in Mecca that have powerfully shaped Muslim culture.
Interweaving stories of his own pilgrim- ages with those of others, Sardar offers a unique insight into not just the spiritual aspects of Mecca-the passion, ecstasy, and longing it evokes-but also the conflict between herit- age and modernity that has characterized its history.
He unpeels the physical, social, and cultural dimensions that have helped trans- form the city and also, through accounts of such Orientalist travelers as Richard Burton and Charles Doughty, the strange fascination that Mecca has long inspired in the Western imagination. And, ultimately, he explores what this tension could mean for Mecca's future.
An illuminative, lyrical, and witty blend of history, reportage, and memoir, Mecca reflects all that is profound, enlightening, and curious about one of the most important religious sites in the world.