Mount Arafat, also called Jabal ar-Rahmah, is one of the essential places of the Hajj. The surrounding plain is where pilgrims gather on the Day of Arafah, and the hill is associated with the Prophet Muhammad's Farewell Sermon.
For Muslim visitors, its significance needs little explanation. For anyone reading about Mecca from outside the pilgrimage, Arafat helps make sense of why the sacred geography of the city extends well beyond the Grand Mosque itself.