What Do Markets Mean to the Modern Pilgrim?
For the pilgrim, a visit to Makkah feels incomplete without a gift that carries part of the place back home. A prayer bead set held during worship. The scent of perfume that recalls nights near the Haram. Dates shared with family upon return. These pilgrim gifts carry the trace of Makkah wherever they go.
The proximity of markets to Al Masjid Al Haram also allows pilgrims to purchase daily essentials with ease, especially for those staying at Makarem Hotels near the Haram. These hotels represent a modern continuation of Makkah’s long tradition of hospitality.
Before Islam: Incense Trade and Caravan Crossroads
Makkah was never an agricultural city, but Allah (SWT) granted it something greater. Its strategic location placed it at the crossroads of caravan routes between Yemen and the Levant. Caravans arrived carrying frankincense, spices, honey, and leather goods, gathering around the Haram in seasonal markets such as Ukaz, Majannah, and Dhu Al Majaz. Poetry was recited, speeches delivered, disputes settled, and trade flourished under the sanctity of the Sacred House, which ensured safety and prohibited conflict. Among these markets, Ukaz stood out as the most renowned. It was a cultural, social, and economic institution rather than a simple trading space. Its influence extended into Makkah itself, becoming part of the city’s annual pattern of life.
The Rise of Islam and the Umayyad and Abbasid Eras: Markets Around the Haram
With the rise of Islam, Makkah entered a new chapter, yet markets retained their importance and gained deeper meaning. The Haram became the center of life, and gradually, markets moved closer until they lined the paths of those performing Tawaf.
During the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the city expanded and merchants settled permanently. Established markets emerged for food, perfumes, fabrics, musk, agate, and everything a pilgrim might need. Pilgrims would pray, perform Tawaf, then purchase necessities or gifts for their return journey. Markets became an essential part of the experience.
As Hajj became a pillar of Islam, hundreds of thousands arrived from across the Muslim world carrying not only spiritual intentions, but also goods from their homelands. They sought items unavailable back home and returned with gifts, small trade goods, or keepsakes for homes and mosques. During this era, the markets of Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah developed together, with Jeddah serving as the vital port of the Hijaz.
The Ottoman Era: Organization and Prosperity Around the Haram
Under Ottoman rule, Makkah’s markets became more organized. Paved walkways were built, along with caravanserais and rest houses for pilgrims arriving from distant regions. Crafts and traditional industries flourished, including goldsmithing, prayer bead making, tailoring pilgrim garments, and preparing religious gifts.
Makkah’s Markets in the Seventeenth Century
Seventeenth century accounts describe Makkah’s markets as specialized centers for perfumes, fabrics, henna, grains, and dyes. Covered walkways made of wood or fabric protected goods from the heat and created shaded passages lined with small shops. Enclosed markets with lockable gates appeared, increasing security and organization.
During this period, Jeddah drew strength from its maritime links to Egypt, Türkiye, India, and East Africa. Markets such as Bab Makkah, Al Badu, and Al Alawi flourished, supplying Makkah itself. These markets were not merely commercial spaces. They were part of the city’s daily rhythm, where the scent of cardamom mixed with the call to prayer, and oud blended with the movement of pilgrims.
Pilgrims found everything they needed, from Zamzam water bottled in small containers to wooden prayer beads, white turbans, henna, and varieties of dates. With the arrival of pilgrims, the markets transformed into lively seasonal scenes where the old and new met naturally.
Modern Markets: Where Heritage Meets Contemporary Life
Over time, especially from the twentieth century onward, Makkah entered a new phase of transformation. As pilgrim numbers increased, the city expanded. Older buildings gave way to towering hotels and large commercial complexes. Markets extended beyond narrow alleys into modern malls featuring international brands.
Yet traditional markets endured, retaining their appeal for visitors seeking the authentic spirit of the Hijaz. About an hour from Makkah, Jeddah continues its historic role as the supply hub. Bab Makkah Market still sends familiar scents to the city, including Arabic coffee, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, traditional clothing, dried fruits, and aromatic oils.
Al Badu Market, with over 140 years of history, remains a witness to generations of fabric, perfume, and metalware trade. The Syrians’ Market, now known as Al Murjan Market, has grown into one of the region’s largest popular markets and a key stop for pilgrims passing through Jeddah on their way to Makkah.
Within Makkah itself, near Makarem Hotels, traditional markets have naturally extended their historic patterns. These markets follow the long bazaar style, with narrow passages branching into wider courtyards once used for resting camels. This pattern remains visible across the Makkah region, including Al Qoz Market in Al Qunfudhah Governorate south of Makkah, one of the largest markets in the Kingdom, offering everything from honey and ghee to livestock, grains, and agricultural tools.
In Jeddah, Al Khasikiyah Market preserves its old soul, filled with spice aromas, hanging prayer beads, and visitors searching for souvenirs infused with the spirit of the place.
Contemporary Markets Near the Hotels
Between deep history and rapid transformation, Makkah today exists in a unique balance between two worlds. Traditional markets preserve their simplicity and character, while modern shopping centers near Makarem Hotels offer a global retail experience.
A pilgrim staying at a Makarem Hotel near the Haram may find themselves choosing between strolling through a market rich with incense and cardamom scents or entering an air conditioned mall offering products from Paris, London, and New York. These contrasts do not diminish the city’s spirit. They enrich it, befitting a place visited by the entire world.
Pilgrim gifts today range from simple items such as wooden prayer beads, prayer mats, and fresh dates, especially Ajwa, Sukkari, and Khalas, to small keepsakes shaped like the Kaaba or Al Masjid Al Haram. Al Kakiyah Market in southern Makkah is among the most important destinations for buying dates in bulk, resembling a vast bazaar filled with countless varieties and products.
With this blending of past and present, Makkah remains a home to markets unlike any others. Its value is not measured by size or number of shops, but by the experiences it leaves in the hearts of its visitors. There is something about Makkah’s markets that resembles Tawaf itself: constant movement, spiritual intensity, and memories formed without planning.
From ancient spice routes to the gift bags pilgrims carry home today, the journey of Makkah’s markets confirms that trade here is not only about exchange. It is part of an enduring human story that continues to unfold.
