Kaaba

The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam.^[1] Muslims believe that the Kaaba is the House of God (Allah), built at Allah's command.^[3]

The Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Rite	Tawaf
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Mosque
Leadership	Abdul-Rahman Al-Sudais: (President of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques)
Status	Active
Location
Location	Great Mosque of Mecca, Месса, Mecca Province, Hejaz
Country	Saudi Arabia
Administration	The Agency of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Muslim pilgrims around the Kaaba The Kaaba is a large cuboid-shaped Building inside al-Masjid al-Haram (Islam's holiest mosque[1]) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Architecture
Architectural type	Temple[2]
Date established	Pre-Islamic era
Specifications
Length	12.86 m (42 ft 2 in)
Width	11.03 m (36 ft 2 in)
Height (max)	13.1 m (43 ft 0 in)
Materials	Stone; marble; limestone

The Kaaba’s original architecture has remained the same for centuries.

History

Before Prophet Muhammad

According to Islamic sources, the Kaaba was a place of worship for angels before the creation of man. After Adam was created, he built the Kaaba. According to the Qur'an, it was the first house on Earth.^[4][5]

The Kaaba was buried under the sand by Noah's flood. After a period of time, it was rebuilt by Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ishmael.^[6][3][7][8]

The Kaaba was a place of monotheism for centuries. Then Amr bin Luhayy brought an idol to the Kaaba.^[9] After that, the Kaaba became a place of pagan belief.^[3][7][10]

After Prophet Muhammad

Muslims began to manage the Kaaba in 630 AD. Idols are forbidden in Islam, and Prophet Muhammad removed them.^[3] Under Muhammad's guidance, the Kaaba was cleaned with sacred water.^[6]

Because people wanted to keep the Kaaba's original architecture, it remained the same for a thousand years. Only simple repairs and small decorations were done during this period. However, in 1630, three walls of the Kaaba were heavily damaged by a storm.

The Kaaba was then restored by Murad IV, the seventeenth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Following this renovation, the Kaaba has remained the same.^[7]

Religious significance

The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam.^[1] Muslims believe that Allah commanded man to build it.^[3] Prophet Mohammed called Masjid al-Haram ("the Sacred Mosque") one of the three most important mosques on the Earth.^[11][12]

Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (hajj) once in a lifetime to the Kaaba.^[13] Because it is the holiest place in Islam, all Muslims pray towards the Kaaba.^[3][6] At the end of Hajj season, there is a holiday called Eid al-Adha (English: Festival of Sacrifice).

Appearance

Architecture

The Kaaba is a rectangular building made of blue-gray granite. It is 12 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 15 meters high (33 feet x 50 feet x 45 feet).^[14]

Plan of the Kaaba

Three pillars (columns) inside the Kaaba support the roof. The floor is made of marble, while the ceiling is covered with cloth.^[7] Gold and glass decorations hang between the pillars.^[6][15]

(See the image for each numbered item)

1. The Black Stone is an egg-shaped black stone with red and yellow marks.
2. The door is 2.13 m above the ground and made of pure gold. The Key has been held by the Shaiba family for 1400 years
3. A rainwater pipe was added to protect the roof from the damage of accumulated rainwater.
4. It is called al-Shadrawan, and it was added to protect the foundation of the Kaaba from the water.
5. Hatim is a low wall. It is included as a part of the Kaaba’s sacred area. Muslims believe the place between the Kaaba and Hatim is the burial, area of Ishmael and Hajar.
6. Al-Multezem, the part of the wall between the door and the Black Stone
7. Station of Abraham, a glass and metal covering for Prophet Abraham’s footprint.
8. Corner of Black Stone (East)
9. Corner of Yemen (South-West)
10. Corner of Syria (North-West)
11. Corner of Iraq (North-East)
12. Cover (Kiswah)
13. The marble line helps pilgrims to count their walks around the Kaaba (Tawaf).
14. The Station of Gabriel^[7]

Cover (Kiswah)

The Kaaba was first covered by Abu Karab As’ad around 60 BC.^[9] The cover was made of valuable materials, as a symbol of his respect for the Kaaba. After that, the Kaaba has been covered with the most valuable materials, following the tradition of showing respect.^[16]

The covers are produced by a factory every year. This factory was established in 1927, solely to produce these covers. The cover is replaced every year on the evening of Eid Al-Adha by 160 technicians.

The Kaaba’s cover contains Qur'anic verses. It is made of 450kgs of pure silk, and it includes hundreds of pounds of precious metals, 670 kgs of silver dyed black, about 120 kgs of pure gold and 50 kgs of silver. The cost of the cover is USD 4,534,325. Its size is 658 square metres.^[17]

The cover of the Kaaba