Why was Mecca an important city for Arabs on the Arabian Peninsula before Islam?

Mecca was an important religious center as well a trading center.It was located along the trade routes in western Arabia. Mecca is the most important city in Islam. It is the destination of those who make the Hajj pilgrimage every year, which is one of the basic 5 pillars of Islam. It houses the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba Shrine and is the home to the prophet Muhammad. Mecca today is also an important trading center.