Makkah is a city in western Saudi Arabia, in the hills of the Hejaz.

Makkah is a city in western Saudi ArabiaMakkah（麥加）是沙烏地阿拉伯西部的一座城市 in the hills of the Hejaz在Hejaz山區裡

For Muslims it is the holiest city on earth: the Prophet Muhammad was born there, and the Kaaba — the black cube at the centre of the Great Mosque — is the point Muslims face when they pray. Every Muslim who is able is expected to make the Hajj, the great pilgrimage, to Makkah once in a lifetime; a shorter visit at other times is called umrah.

For Muslims it is the holiest city on earth對穆斯林來說，這是世界上最神聖的城市： the Prophet Muhammad was born there先知穆罕默德在這裡出生 and the Kaaba — the black cube at the centre of the Great Mosque —而Kaaba（禁寺中央那座黑色的立方體建築） is the point Muslims face when they pray是穆斯林禱告時面對的方向 Every Muslim who is able is expected to make the Hajj, the great pilgrimage, to Makkah once in a lifetime每個有能力的穆斯林一生中都應該來Makkah進行一次Hajj（大朝覲） a shorter visit at other times is called umrah平時比較短的參訪則叫做umrah（小朝覲）

People who are not Muslims are not allowed into the city itself, which is unusual among famous holy places and is taken very seriously.

People who are not Muslims are not allowed into the city itself不是穆斯林的人不能進入這座城市 which is unusual among famous holy places這在知名的聖地裡算是很少見的規定 and is taken very seriously而且被非常認真地執行

English used to write the name Mecca, and that older spelling is still what most English speakers say; Makkah is closer to the Arabic and is the form many Muslims and some news organisations prefer. People also stretch Mecca in English to mean any place that a certain kind of person rushes to — “a mecca for shoppers” — though that is a nickname, not the city, and some Muslims find it careless.

English used to write the name Mecca英文以前把這個名字寫成Mecca and that older spelling is still what most English speakers say這個比較舊的拼法現在還是大部分英文使用者會說的 Makkah is closer to the Arabic and is the form many Muslims and some news organisations preferMakkah比較接近阿拉伯文的發音，也是很多穆斯林和一些新聞機構偏好的寫法 People also stretch Mecca in English to mean any place that a certain kind of person rushes to英文也會把Mecca延伸使用，用來指某種人蜂擁而至的地方 — “a mecca for shoppers” ———像是「a mecca for shoppers（購物者的聖地）」 though that is a nickname, not the city不過那只是個暱稱，不是真的指這座城市 and some Muslims find it careless有些穆斯林會覺得這樣用不太恰當