TY - BOOK AU - Sardar,Ziauddin TI - Mecca: The Sacred City SN - 9781620402665 AV - DS248.M4S27 PY - 2014/// CY - New York PB - Bloomsbury KW - Muslim pilgrims and pilgrimages KW - Islam KW - Saudi Arabia KW - Mecca KW - History N1 - Includes bibliographical references and index; Map -- Introduction: The lure of Mecca -- The Valley of Weeping -- 'I love thee more than the entire world' -- Rebellions at God's earthly throne -- Sharifs, sultans, and sectarians -- Love and fratricide in the Holy City -- The caravans of precious gifts -- The Wahhabi threat -- Camels, Indians, and feudal queens -- Western visitors, Arab garb -- Mecca under the Saudis -- The reconfigured utopia -- Chronology N2 - "Sardar unravels the meaning and 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 religious struggles and rebellions in Mecca that have significantly shaped Muslim culture ... [in a] blend of history, reportage, and memoir."--Amazon.com ER -