Which peninsula contains the city of Mecca?

Which peninsula contains the city of Mecca? The answer is the Arabian Peninsula.

Mecca lies in Saudi Arabia’s Hejaz region, on the peninsula’s western side near the Red Sea. The Arabian Peninsula is a vast landmass in West Asia, bounded by the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia occupies most of its area.

Mecca’s importance comes from the Kaaba, located inside the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram). Muslims face the Kaaba during prayer, and the annual Hajj pilgrimage brings worshippers to the city during Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar. Mecca is also traditionally identified as the birthplace of Muhammad, Islam’s prophet.

A common mix-up is the Sinai Peninsula, which is geographically part of Egypt and lies on the African side of the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba. The Arabian Peninsula is also larger than the seven modern states commonly associated with it; geographic definitions may include parts of Iraq and Jordan.