Makkah is the holiest city in the Islamic world. Every year, millions of Muslims walk a pilgrimage to Makkah. This is called the Hajj, where they follow in the footsteps of Muhammad. The Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram, the holiest mosque in Islam is situated here. Makkah is closed to non-Muslims except some journalists reporting on the Hajj. The complete name of Makkah is Makkah tul-Mukarramah is a city in Saudi Arabia. It has a population of 1,294,167 counted in 2004. The city is located 73 kilometres from Jeddah, 277 metres above sea level. The Kaaba, towards which Muslims pray is believed to have been built by Hazrat Ibrahim and his son Hazrat Ismail.