On June 10, the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, the leader of the Banu Hashim clan, started a revolt against the Ottoman Caliphate from this city.

In early June 1916, most of the Ottoman army had gone to Taif, a hill station near Mecca accompanying Ghalib Pasha, the governor of Hijaz.

Many of them were asleep in barracks in the valley on June 10 when the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali fired a shot into the air from the window of the Hashemite palace signaling the beginning of the Arab Revolt.

Hearing this his 5000 supporters started firing on Turkish troops in three fortresses overlooking the holy city, and at the Jirwall barracks on Jeddah road.

On the next day, Banu Hashim's forces advanced and captured Bash-Karakol[3] at Safa corner adjacent to the Masjid al-Haram.

The Sharif of Mecca was himself deposed by the rival Ibn Saud and his dream of an Arabian state stretching from Yemen to Syria remained unrealized.