Jabal al-Nour

Jabal al-Nour (Arabic: جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر, romanized: Jabal an-Nūr, lit. 'Mountain of the Light' or 'Hill of the Illumination') is a mountain near Mecca in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. The mountain houses the grotto or cave of Hira (Arabic: غَار حِرَاء, romanized: Ghar-i-Hira, lit. 'Cave of Hira'), which holds tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world, as it is here where the Islamic prophet Muhammad received his first revelation of the Quran, which consisted of the first five ayat of Surah Al-Alaq from the angel Jibra'il (as is pronounced in certain Quran recitation schools and some Arab tribes; also known as Gabriel). It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Makkah. The mountain itself is barely 640 m (2,100 ft) tall; nonetheless one to two hours are needed to make the strenuous hike to the cave. There are 1750 steps to the top which can take anywhere between half an hour and three hours. For Muslims, Jabal al-Nour represents a sacred place of profound significance, where the first revelation of the Quran was received in the Cave of Hira.