[a_Turk]

What is really at mecca and medina?

Mecca is the city where Mohammed was from. The Kabe, which is the black cube you refer to, is a shrine which contains a meteorite. It was kept holy by folks there since who knows when.

Mohammed started preaching about Jewish monotheism, which led to his persecutions by the rulers of Mecca. So he, his family and friends fled to Medina. The Muslim calendar is based on this date of migration. They later returned to beat the rulers of Mecca, who are refered to as the infidels in the Koran. The importance of the Kabe as a holy site was continued, similar to the practice by Christians, of continuing traditions such as a big party (Christmas) in December (Christ was born during the harvest, which was in late summer), fertility symbols for Easter (rabbits which bring eggs, both fertility symbols in Spring), or of the building of temples and churches on or around sites held sacred by the polytheistic populations before the rise of Christianity (St. John's Bassilica right by the temple of Artemis, etc, etc, etc.).

[weikel]

Mohammad also massacred the Jews of Medina.

[cake_crumb]

"Mohammed started preaching about Jewish monotheism, which led to his persecutions by the rulers of Mecca. So he, his family and friends fled to Medina."

...Which led him to take the preexisting concepts of Judaeism and Christianity, mix them up with ancient customs and superstitions belonging to the original, polytheistic culture, mix 'em all up willy nilly and include them in a book he designated the Qu Ran, which he decreed was told to him by a previously almost unknown moon god.

...Leading the Arab world on a steady line of cultural and intellectual devolution ever since.

[Straight Vermonter]

Christ was born during the harvest, which was in late summer

Actually it was spring. The shepherds only tend the sheep at night when they are giving birth to the lambs in spring.

Luke 2 verse 8:And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

[Shermy]

What is really at mecca and medina?

Less one old Ottoman fortress this year.

[PayrollOffice]

bump.