Sharif of Mecca

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The Sharif of Mecca (شريف مكة) was the traditional steward of the holy cities of Mecca (Makkah) and Medina (Madinah). The term Sharif (literally, noble in Arabic) is a tribal title given to the protector of the tribe's members, assets, and lands. The sharif was charged with protecting the cities and their environs and ensuring the safety of pilgrims performing the Hadj. The title is sometimes spelled Sheriff or Sherif, with the latter variant used, for example, by T.E. Lawrence in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The common-law political and legal office of sheriff found in some anglophone countries is unrelated.

Since 1201, the Sharifate was held by a member of the House of Hashem, which traces its lineage back to Hasan bin Ali, the eldest son of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali ibn Abu Talib; descendants of this family continued to hold the position until the Twentieth Century. In 1517, the Sharif acknowledged the supremacy of the Ottoman Caliph, but remained largely independent.

The Sharifate came to an end shortly after the reign of Hussein bin Ali, who rebelled against the Ottoman rule during the Arab Revolt of 1916. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and its subsequent dissolution in 1923, Hussein declared himself Caliph. The British granted control over the newly formed states of Iraq and Transjordan to his sons Faisal and Abdullah. In 1924, however, in the face of increasing attacks by ibn Saud, Hussein abdicated his secular titles to his eldest son, Ali bin Hussein, who was to become the last Grand Sharif. At the end of 1924, the ibn Saud conquered the Hejaz and expelled the Hashemites. The House of Saud has since exercised stewardship over the holy cities and the Hadj, without claiming the title of Sharif of Mecca.