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I know Mecca is one of the most sacred sites in Islam and that a merchant was kicked out for entering the site and being Christian and that non-Muslims who enter the most sacred regions of the city could be kicked out of Saudi Arabia.

However, are there any places in the city of Mecca that non-Muslims are allowed to visit without breaking the law?

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Mecca (or Makkah as pronounced in Arabic) is a region in Saudi Arabia, one of its cities is Mecca (clearly, the same name as the region's name). Other cities include Jeddah and Taif, which anyone can visit.

So, if you mean the city, then the answer is mostly No, if you mean the region, then the answer is Yes.

Going back to the city, according to Islam (as some interpret it), only the sacred area (the mosque area and the surroundings, other sacred areas like Arafah And Mina, etc.) is not allowed for non-Muslims. However, that is quite hard to apply due to Mecca being in the mountains area, so the ban is extended to cover almost all Mecca (it's not a large city anyway). There are road signs that show the Muslims-Only areas.

road sign The photo is from Google. (Here is a link to one version on internet.)

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  • 5
    It is a remarkable road sign. I wonder whether there are any others like it. It is tempting to post a question.
    – badjohn
    Commented Feb 8, 2020 at 18:30
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    Did you take the photo yourself? If not, could you please add proper attribution?
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Feb 8, 2020 at 22:30
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    I don't think "from Google" is proper attribution. Who actually created the photo? How do you know you have permission to use it here?
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Feb 9, 2020 at 1:54
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    I doubt the picture is from Google itself. I mean what did you think? That Google has a fleet of cars driving all over the world taking pictures of roads or something... what are the chances of that, right? ;)
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Feb 9, 2020 at 18:25
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    @Harper-ReinstateMonica I stole it. Is that what you all want to hear.
    – Nean Der Thal
    Commented Feb 9, 2020 at 18:32

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