 Lawrence conspired with the Ottoman governor, Hussain bin Ali, the Sharif of Mecca to revolt against the Ottoman Empire and it was the first city captured by his forces in the 1916 Battle of Makkah.Sharif's revolt proved a turning point of the war on the eastern front.Hussein declared a new state, the Kingdom of Hejaz, declaring himself the Sharif of the state and Makkah his capital.