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Mecca served as the stronghold of Ibn al-Zubayr, a significant figure in Islamic history who opposed the Umayyad caliphate. Located in present-day Saudi Arabia, Mecca holds immense religious and cultural importance as the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad and the site of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Ibn al-Zubayr established his base in Mecca due to its symbolic significance and the support he garnered from the local population.