The centuries-old city of Mecca is nestled among the ancient hills of Arabia. Mecca was the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, and has been the destination of millions of Moslem pilgrims. Mecca Cigarettes was named after this holy city when introduced by the Kinney Bros. Tobacco Company in 1878. Mecca sales benefited from a heavy dose of advertising dollars following the dissolution of The American Tobacco Company trust in 1911. Magazine and newspaper ads, a wood framed sign, plus several sets of attractive cigarette insert cards boosted consumer awareness. Ads published in 1915 claimed Mecca "the largest selling brand in America today." America's fascination with the mystic of the Mideast would last until the First World War. When Turkey allied itself with the enemies of the United States, plus the 1913 introduction of the modern 'American Blend' Camel cigarette, the popularity of the different Turkish and Egyptian brands plummeted. Even though the Turkish brands would no longer play an important role with smokers, exotic Turkish tobacco would continue to be imported and used as a 'seasoning' in the Camel, Lucky Strike, and Chesterfield brands.