Al-Ma’alah Cemetery

Al Ma'alah Cemetery, also known as the "Cemetery of Ma'lla" or the "Cemetery of Makkah", is one of the largest and oldest cemeteries in Makkah al-Mukarramah, dating back to the pre-Islamic era, and is located on Mount Hajjun towards the Kaaba.

A deceased's tomb was marked by an epitaph, an arrhythmic rectangular stone taken from the region's mountains, and inscribed with the deceased's name, the date by the day, month, or year, with prayers and verses of the Quran, but this has changed over times and the stones engraved in various Arabic lines were dispersed and reused in different graves.

Prominent Arab and Islamic figures were buried in the cemetery of Al Ma'alah, such as Companions and Apostles of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, imams and leading scholars, like Mrs. Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Asmaa bint Abi Bakr, Al-Qasim, son of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and others.

Generally speaking, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provides free hearsing, transportation, and burial services for the deceased, to ease the burden on their families, by following up on a death situation right from the death up to the burial moment in public graves common to Muslims, while non-Muslims are buried in graves designated for them.

24 pieces of ancient archaeological evidence inscribed in Arabic calligraphy, some of which date back to 655 AH, were found in Al Ma'alah cemetery and handed over to the Ministry of Tourism.

On the historical level, the tombs of Al Ma'alah and Al Baqi are renowned for being the most famous ancient Islamic cemeteries in the kingdom, while the Al-Oud cemetery is deemed as one of the most famous in the modern era, where the founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud and his sons are buried: King Saud, King Faisal, King Khalid, King Fahd, King Abdullah, along with other royalties. The cemetery of Al-Adl district in Makkah al-Mukarramah is known for housing the bodies of well-known figures in Saudi history including Abdulaziz bin Baz, and Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is distinguished for hosting the oldest Islamic historical cemeteries, which continue to welcome funerals and bury the dead; it also embraces a number of historic cemeteries that bear witness to ancient civilizations and historical kingdoms like the first Kingdom of Kinda.