Cave of Hira

The Cave of Hira is a rock cavity at the top of Jabal An-Noor in Makkah, northeast of the Grand Mosque, and the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to retreat in worship before the Revelation.[1]

The cave witnessed the beginning of the Islamic call with the descent of the Revelation, and there the first verse of the Holy Quran was revealed: "Read in the name of your Lord who created."[3]

The Cave of Hira lies at the top of Jabal An-Noor, one of the historic and Islamic sites in Makkah, and the mountain stands northeast of the Grand Mosque.[1]

Jabal An-Noor is one of the mountains of the Hijaz range, and it is further honoured in that the first stones used to build the Holy Kaaba came from its rocks.[3]

The mountain descends steeply from a height of 380 metres down to the 500-metre level, then continues descending at a right angle to its summit, which resembles a camel's hump, and from the summit it overlooks the Holy Capital and its dwellings.[1][2]

Jabal An-Noor has several names, among them Jabal Al-Quran and Jabal Al-Islam; it is known today as Jabal An-Noor, a name it took from the light of prophethood that appeared in it.[1]

The cave is a cavity at the top of Jabal An-Noor; its entrance faces north and measures four cubits in length and one cubit and three quarters in width, and anyone entering it faces the Holy Kaaba.[2] The space inside is narrow, seating only a few people.[2]

At this site the Revelation descended upon Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the first verse of the Holy Quran was revealed: "Read in the name of your Lord who created", making the cave a witness to the beginning of the Islamic call.[3]

Jabal An-Noor sees a high concentration of Umrah performers and visitors to Makkah of diverse nationalities, as one of the historic areas they frequent.[4]

His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah Region, directed that work begin promptly on the development projects for the caves of Hira and Thawr in 1441 AH, corresponding to 2020, under the supervision of Prince Badr bin Sultan and a joint team from the Emirate of Makkah Region, the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites, the Makkah Region Development Authority, the Holy Capital Municipality and the region's police.[5]

The project covers cleaning the rocks of writings and drawings, removing the writings in both caves together with concrete pours and canopies, in phases, the first of which takes 30 days.[5]

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage began constructing a visitor centre at the Jabal An-Noor site in Makkah as part of a project to develop and rehabilitate the site, within the programme for Islamic historical sites and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' programme for the care of cultural heritage.[6]

The Hira Cultural District launched the first phase of the paved route leading up to the Cave of Hira in Makkah, coinciding with International Mountain Day, with accompanying activities that include traditional handicrafts and the experience of climbing to the cave.[7]

The district organises professional, well-coordinated trips to the Cave of Hira that include guidance, reception, the preparation of assembly points and safety elements, with periodic campaigns to clean the area and preserve the site.[8]

The district gives visitors a distinctive experience of climbing to the cave along a prepared trail with guidance elements, rest points and modern technologies; it includes multiple facilities, among them the Holy Quran Museum and interactive exhibitions on the Prophetic biography, in step with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.[9]

Q: Where is the Cave of Hira located? A: At the top of Jabal An-Noor in Makkah, northeast of the Grand Mosque.[1]

Q: What was the first verse revealed in the Cave of Hira? A: "Read in the name of your Lord who created", the first verse of the Holy Quran.[3]

Q: Why is Jabal An-Noor so named? A: Because the light of prophethood appeared in it; it also has other names, among them Jabal Al-Quran and Jabal Al-Islam.[1]

Q: What does the Hira Cultural District offer visitors to the cave? A: A prepared climbing trail with guidance elements and rest points, organised trips that include guidance and safety elements, and the Holy Quran Museum with interactive exhibitions on the Prophetic biography.[8][9]

Q: What are the most prominent development projects at the cave site? A: The development project for the caves of Hira and Thawr, launched in 1441 AH, corresponding to 2020, and the establishment of a visitor centre at the Jabal An-Noor site.[5][6]

Visitors to Makkah frequent the Cave of Hira as a historic site, and work continues to develop its surroundings and prepare the routes leading to it.[4][9] Related topics on the platform include Quba Mosque, Masjid Al-Qiblatayn, Sarawat Mountains and Al-Tayebat Museum.