⛰️ Jabal al-Nour

Jabal al-Nour is a mountain near Mecca in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. The mountain houses the grotto or cave of Hira. It is here where the Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have received his first revelation of the Quran from the angel Jibra'il, which consists of the first five ayat of Surah Al-Alaq. The mountain itself is barely 640 m (2,100 ft) tall; nonetheless one to two hours are needed to make the strenuous hike to the cave. There are 1750 steps to the top which can take anywhere between half an hour and three hours. Jabal al-Nour is a major tourist destination for visitors and pilgrims. However, access is restricted to Muslims, as non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca.