But Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, is not limited to satisfying the spiritual thirst of visitors. Born of the desert, this is a city with the heart of a village, conjuring images of historic Arabia. Sun-bleached homes nestle in rocky hillsides and visitors bargain with shopkeepers with the largest mosque in the world rising above them. It’s here that modernity, thanks to extensive building improvements, mixes with the Arabia of the past.