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The study area in relation to the Arabic Peninsula It is amazing to know that there was an attempt to make historical maps two centuries ago. That was when the Turkish officer Ayoub Sabry, in his book "A Mirror of Makkah" in 1872, drew an imaginary sketch showing Makkah's landscape in the pre-Islam period (i.e., before the 5th Georgian century), as seen in Fig. 2d. He constructed this 3D image based on the historical description of Makkah as set by Kosaii Ibn Kalab (the 5th grandfather of Prophet Muhammad) when he ordered residents to leave some open spaces around the holy Kaaba and regulated buildings to be in circles around it with some radial streets to ease the access to it (ibid). Recently, several atlases have been published concerning the Islamic history including the city of Makkah. For example, Abu Khalil published an atlas regarding the geographic places mentioned in the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (2005a). He also produced another atlas about geographic sites mentioned in the holy Qur'an (2003). The nature of these two atlases is general, with no details about the geography of Makkah itself. Mirza and Shawoosh (2011) published an illustrated atlas for Makkah and its holy shrines. GIS was utilized in Makkah as a platform for four dimensional analyses over time, which can be seen as a specific application of HGIS. For example, Shehata (2007) carried out a 4D GIS to investigate the urban and landscape changes in the central region of Makkah in the last three decades. Similarly, Al-Ghamdi et al. (2012) constructed a GIS to estimate the urban growth of Makkah, and the corresponding flood hazards, over the period of 1947-2010.
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A Historical Geographic Information System (HGIS) is a way to create a time-variable spatial representation of geographic features, which is considered as a bridging technology between geography and history in a digital framework. The history of Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia covers several thousand years, with numerous sites representing important h...
Citations
... Hajar and her son complied with the command of Allah and stayed in the valley, and by a divine miracle, the Zamzam well emerged in that place. During that period, the bases of the Kaaba were raised by the hands of the Prophet Abraham and his son Ismail, peace be upon them [3] . ...
... Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that is based on the use of a number of virtual objects and information in a real environment to provide additional information or direction, in contrast to VR, which is based on the use of real objects in a virtual environment [3] . The user can manipulate the information and virtual objects in AR through several devices, whether they are mobile devices such as a smartphones or wearable devices such as glasses, contact lenses, and tracking system devices that provide accurate projections and tracking such as global positioning (GPS), and as inputs that are interacted with through applications [9] . ...
... A study by Mirza et al. focused on the maps but faced certain limitations due to the large geographical coverage required to provide appropriate images for the subject of the study and to display information based on the place, time, and historical data presented in the HGIS. Therefore, a number of studies used the HGIS to set coordinates that could provide historical information associated with landmarks, and then, added multimedia files that helped display the historical information directly related to the coordinates [3] . Baik et al. [6] indicated the negative aspects of the HGIS and its direct dependence on the coordinates associated with the places, which are expected to overlap if there are many historical facts within a small area, similar to the case of Makkah or Medina. ...
Communicating with visitors in tourist areas is one of the best means of conveying tourist information to them and introducing and presenting these areas to end users. Therefore, the use and activation of a new technical and digital service will help to deliver appropriate and reliable information to end users even if they speak different languages. With the current rapid pace of the industrial revolution, there is an increasing need to create a space to deal consistently with tourism in general. Therefore, innovation is gaining importance when it comes to the creation and utilisation of emerging technologies to promote tourism goals. Augmented reality (AR) has revitalised many areas by delivering immersive experiences in the digital world and bringing them to life in the real world. This proposed study sought to enrich the experience of users by displaying various tourist spots in the Makkah region to them with the relevant multimedia information to enable them to build a better connection with the archaeological areas and sites in the city of Makkah, which is the religious capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and is considered as the cradle of Islam. This was where the Islamic civilisation was launched and the call of the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, began, and there are many areas that are rich in ancient history, where diverse situations and information can be presented in a beautiful and attractive way. This study proposed the use of electronic glasses linked to a smart device application based on the use of AR to review archaeological areas using deep learning (DL) and multimedia information that support visitors through a database that was previously fed by databases dedicated to this matter, as well as by using some websites and online videos for the same purpose. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was used by sensors attached to the glasses to correctly identify artifacts and thus, display information associated with the sites in question. To increase the level of accuracy, feedback was obtained through a questionnaire that carefully evaluated the presented information using relevant evaluation models through a place experience scale (PES) as well as the experience of using the triple interaction of the AR. The results of the study were discussed and evaluated comprehensively for its future development using statistical methods. The results of the study will serve to enhance competitiveness by showing the archaeological monuments in the Makkah region and providing visitors with reliable information about them through multiple media that will automatically identify what is presented to them according to the different languages of the visitors.
... Makkah is in a hot and dry area in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. The geological structure consists of rugged mountains and watershed valleys (Mirza et al., 2015). The rough mountains left few level locations, so residents extended houses vertically. ...
... Technology has advanced the analysis and documentation processes of the architectural heritage of Makkah. For example, Alsabban and Fatani (2018), Mirza et al. (2015), Shehata (2006), Koshak and Flemming (2002), and Koshak and Gross (1998) experimented with various methods such as multimedia videos, photographic images, and virtual reality technology. The aim was to preserve and enhance the architectural characteristics of Makkah while integrating sustainable technologies and current design principles. ...
... Introducing time as the fourth coordinate, historical GIS has a crucial role in linking the history and geography of a particular area. Thus, Mirza et al. (2015) initiated an Historical Geographic Information System (HGIS) for Makkah that covers several thousand years of the city's history. HGIS is creating a time-variable spatial representation of geographic features bridging technology between geography and history in a digital framework (Mirza et al., 2015). ...
Makkah has developed unique architectural vocabularies for centuries. The Roushan, Qalalib, Kharja, and Shwabir responded to topography, climate conditions, and socio-cultural aspects. However, demolishing heritage buildings to expand the Holy Mosque has led to the disappearance of many traditional architectural vocabularies. Then, the imposition of modern architectural elements by modernity increased a feeling of discontinuity with the past. In addition, globalization has branded Makkah as a city of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. Megaprojects have emerged since Saudi Arabia announced its Vision 2030, necessitating creative architectural solutions.
Although the literature on the architecture of Makkah introduced varied approaches to developing traditional architectural vocabularies, the results were far from anticipated. Most studies assumed that traditional elements should shape the future of architecture in Makkah. The field of architecture suggests analyzing physical forms in reality, while the philosophical attempt proposes exploring them in virtuality. Reality and virtuality must be dynamic in space as methods for innovation; this space should be detached from architecture to challenge physical norms and separated from philosophy to promote practicality. This paper maps the literature to evaluate the approaches that examine the architecture of Makkah. It suggests a third space, outside architecture, and philosophy, utilizing AI to generate Makkah’s architectural elements. The aim is to employ technology, i.e., AI, not to document but to generate architectural vocabulary based on rising potentials and differentiations, which are the bases of innovation, hence establishing continuity with the past to shape the future
... It determines the levels of interest among pilgrims and if people want to use this application in their Hajj or when roaming Makkah. Meraj, et al. [32] proposed utilising AR with historical sites in Makkah. However, Meraj, et al. [32] called for using AR with Makkah as a historical site without having acceptance model or practical prototype. ...
... Meraj, et al. [32] proposed utilising AR with historical sites in Makkah. However, Meraj, et al. [32] called for using AR with Makkah as a historical site without having acceptance model or practical prototype. This is only one task that AR could do for pilgrims. ...
The majority of pilgrims do not speak Arabic and may encounter difficulties performing Hajj in terms of appropriate
procedures and places due to their unfamiliarity. Most pilgrims are there for the first time. Researchers and
practitioners have sought to develop mobile-based applications to assist pilgrims in various tasks such as finding their
way and avoid becoming lost, and to perform Hajj procedures properly based on guides on their mobiles. Among the
developed applications, a few are based on augmented reality. Many remain in the research phase. However, the
problem with many augmented-based applications developed for Hajj is the lack of user acceptance investigation
before implementation. This study found that the applications developed for Hajj practices based on augmented reality
lacked user acceptance test. This study proposes a model for user acceptance for mobile augmented reality applications
developed for Hajj. It found that pilgrims’ motivations to use this type of application were ease of use and enjoyment,
with little focus on its utility. This result is interpreted as meaning that the participants have yet to appreciate the utility
of mobile augmented applications.
... The residents' roles and housing design of Makkah before the time of the Saudi Government comprises two major eras, which are the eras before and after Islam which began with the appearance of Islam and ended with the end of the Ottoman Empire (AlSyriani, 1986;Fakieh, 2010;Mirza, Dawod, Elzahrany, & Mirza, 2015). This Islamic era is divided into three major periods, which are the periods of recovery, recession, and prosperity. ...
Since the Kaaba was built, Allah has given the residents of Makkah the privilege to serve Hajj pilgrims to gain spiritual benefits. The traditional role of residents of Makkah during Haj was to provide for the needs of the pilgrims, which directly or indirectly affect their daily life, their community, and their housing design. Most previous studies on housing suggest that the roles of a person have a significant effect on his or her house design. However, only a few studies on the roles of residents of Makkah and their impacts on housing design in the holy city have been found. This article aims to identify the roles of residents of Makkah in hosting Hajj pilgrims, particularly before the major change made by the Saudi Government in handling Haj pilgrims beginning in the 1950s. It reviews the literature on the history of settlements and housing in Makkah, focusing on residents' involvement in hosting pilgrims during Haj seasons and other forms of visits such as the Umrah. The literature was also examined to relate the residents' roles with housing attributes such as location, community, house type, layout, size, etc. The review discovered several significant roles played by the residents of Makkah in serving the pilgrims, and these roles have caused functional changes in the interior and exterior spaces of the houses during Haj seasons and other times during the year.
