phrase
Mecca
A place that draws devotees of a particular activity โ 'the Mecca of X'.
Origin
The holiest city in Islam, in present-day Saudi Arabia, where the Prophet Muhammad was born and where the Kaaba stands. Every able Muslim is expected to make the hajj โ a pilgrimage to Mecca โ once in a lifetime. The English metaphor 'Mecca of [some activity]' has been in use since the 19th century.
Modern usage
Common โ 'a Mecca for surfers', 'a foodie Mecca'. Some Muslims object to the metaphor as flippant given the city's religious weight; the usage is shifting accordingly in careful writing.
Tags
pilgrimage
destination