Mecca will boast the largest hotel in the world when Abraj Kudai finishes its development that in 2017.
It is strategically located near Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, according to Telegraph. Masjid Al-Haram or the Sacred Mosque is the largest temple in the world. In the Muslim's celebration of Hajji, two million pilgrims visit the city for this sacred event.
Annually, the sacred city of Mecca accommodates more than 15 million Muslims who travel from around the globe to profess their faith, according to MSN. Because of this large figures, hotel establishments start to fill the city to accommodate the enormous number of people.
The Abraj Kudai is currently under development, and soon will consist of twelve towers that will have 30 to 48 stories of residential and hotel uses. It will equate to an average of 10,000 rooms. Ten of the towers will handle the four-star accommodations while the remaining two will be for five-star services. The Saudi Royal family will also have five floors only catered to them.
The podium will house the bus station, shopping mall, restaurants, food courts, conference center, car-parks, and technical services.
Because of the growing number of establishments and entertainment sections in Mecca, some Muslims remarked that it tainted the sacredness that the city once had.
"Everything has been swept away to make way for the incessant march of luxury hotels, which are destroying the sanctity of the place and pricing normal pilgrims out," said Irfan Al-Alawi, Islamic Heritage Research Foundation Director UK, according to the Guardian.
"These are the last days of Mecca. The pilgrimage is supposed to be a spartan, simple rite of passage, but it has turned into an experience closer to Las Vegas, which most pilgrims simply can't afford."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
