The Most Influential Places in History

They are buildings, cities and natural wonders. They house the heights of cultural achievement and offer backdrops for our best ideas. Asked to name the most influential place in history, previous and present TIME 100 honorees reflect on locations that have seen and in some cases helped bring about some of the most transformative moments in human experience.

Influential Places

Mecca

By TIME EditorsMonday, Apr. 23, 2012
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FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP / Getty Images

An aerial view shows the Mecca Clock Tower as Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in Mecca on November 7, 2011.

It is the holiest city in Islam, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and site of the Koran's composition. More than 13 million Muslims visit this Saudi city annually, several million during the hajj, the pilgrimage that is the fifth pillar of Islam.

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