Question

Mecca was an important city for Arabs on the Arabian Peninsula before Islam because it was

Answer 1

a pilgrimage site

Answer 2

Mecca was a stop for trade caravans between Yemen and points north like Jerusalem, Damascus and Baghdad. Yemen produced spices . Arabic tribes also used Mecca as a place to keep their idols. The Ka'ba, a big black stone in the middle of the city, was a favorite place to keep idols while the tribes were on the road. The tribes used Mecca as a base.