Ka'ba (Makkah)
Saudi Arabia /
Makkah /
Mecca /
Makkah
World
/ Saudi Arabia
/ Makkah
/ Mecca
, 1 km from center (مكة, مكه)
World / Saudi Arabia
place with historical importance, mosque, islam, religion, place of worship, holy site / sacred place
The Ka'ba is a large, stone structure at the heart of the Masjid al-Haram in the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and is Islam's holiest building. Constituting a single room with a marble floor, it now stands some 60 feet high and each side is approximately 60 feet in length. The Ka;aba is the focal point (qibla) towards which Muslims worldwide turn to pray
The four walls of the Ka'ba are covered with a black curtain (the Kiswah) which reaches to the ground and is fastened to the Shadharwan with copper rings.
The door of the Ka'ba is set in the south-east wall, about seven feet from the ground. Inside there are three wooden pillars, which support the roof. The interior is furnished with many gold and silver lamps. On the inner walls, there are several bands of inscriptions which record the many repairs done to the Ka'ba.
The Holy Qur'an makes it clear that the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael were the true founders of the Ka'ba, together building the holy shrine dedicated to the worship of the one true God.
Five times each day more than a billion Muslims around the world turn to face the direction of the Ka'ba to offer their prayers to the one true God. It is also, of course, the focal point of the Hajj when, once each year, some two million pilgrims converge on the Holy City of Makkah.
Set into the eastern corner of the Ka'ba is the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad). The Black Stone predates Islam but now, set in a silver frame, forms an integral part of the Ka'ba. In the course of the pilgrimage, Hajjis will kiss, touch, or at least point towards the Black Stone, which derives its sanctity from the fact it was kissed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
On the roof of the Ka'ba is a gilt water spout (al-Masabb) which projects out from the north-west wall.
Opposite the north-west wall of the Ka'ba, but not joined to it, is a semi-circular wall called al-Hateem, which is 5ft high and 3ft thick. This area is also known as Hijr Isma'il, and was once part of the Ka'ba and believed to contain the graves of Ishmael and his mother, Hagar; it is for these two reasons that pilgrims do not enter the Hateem while performing the Tawaf.
To the north-east side of the Ka'ba is the Place of Abraham (Maqam Ibrahim), a small kiosk of glass and metal topped by a small dome. Inside is the stone on which Ibrahim stood while building the Ka'ba.
Nearly opposite the Black Stone, near Maqam Ibrahim, is the Well of Zamzam, which quenched Hagar's thirst and is said to have miraculous properties.
Initially, the mosque was much smaller than it is today but, over time, it has been gradually expanded. Under the Ottomans it grew to roughly the size of the current courtyard (Mataf). Great expansion work has taken place under the Saudi government along with modernisation of architecture. It has also been outfitted with modern conveniences such as air conditioners and escalators. The outside of the current mosque has a splendid marble facade, and it has three stories, each of which can hold thousands of worshippers.
According to Islamic belief, the mosque was first built by the angels before the creation of mankind. God had ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Maamur, which was the worshipping place for the angels and is believed to be directly above the Ka'ba.
Adam was the first human to re-build it, and time to time the mosque was destroyed due to many causes. According to popular belief it was last built by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) with the help of his son Ishmael. Historical accounts mention various builders who rebuilt the Ka'ba. Among those who were mentioned to have built the Holy Ka'ba are the following:
1. The Angels (peace be upon them).
2. Adam (peace be upon him). It was said that it was built by Adam (peace be upon him) assisted by the Angels (peace be upon them).
3. Seth, son of Adam (peace be upon them).
4. Abraham and his son, Ishmael (peace be upon them).
5. AI-Amaliqah.
6. Jurhum.
7. Qusai, the fourth grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him).
8. Quraish. Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) was present during this construction and participated, five years before his mission, by carrying the stones with the help of his uncle, AI-Abbas, to the site of the building. He also played a wise role in settling who was eligible to put the Black Stone in its place.
9. Abdullah ibn Al-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them) in the year 65 AH. This was after the siege of AI-Husayn ibn Numair, who came with his army on behalf of Yazeed ibn Muawiyah to wage war against lbn AI-Zubair. He attacked the Holy Ka'ba with catapults, causing its walls to collapse and burn. This necessitated its complete demolition and reconstruction after the withdrawal of Al-Husayn and his army.
10. AI-Hajjaj in the year 74 AH. In fact, the construction by AI-Hajjaj is not considered as a comprehensive addition as it was only the demolition of the additions made by Ibn AI-Zubair.
11. The Ottoman Sultan Murad Khan, in the year 1040 AH, after most of the sides of the Holy Ka'ba were destroyed as a consequence of heavy rains and torrents which flooded Makkah on the afternoon and evening of Thursday 20 Sha'ban, 1039 AH.
Those were the builders of the Ka'ba through history. The main aim and objective of writing this record is to shed light on the architectural setup in the history of the Ka'ba. As previously mentioned, some of the views are presumptive. Our statement is confined to the concise summing up of the history of the construction of the Ka'ba which is historically and lawfully valid. This includes the building by Abraham, in collaboration with his son Ismail (peace be upon them), and the building by Quraish to which Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) contributed when he was thirtyfive years old. Add to this, the building by Abdullah Ibn Al-Zubair, and the demolition of those additions by Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, and the building by the Ottoman Sultan, Murad Khan in 1040 H. This leads us up to the subject of this great, historical record which is the complete and comprehensive renovations of the edifice of the Ka'ba made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
The four walls of the Ka'ba are covered with a black curtain (the Kiswah) which reaches to the ground and is fastened to the Shadharwan with copper rings.
The door of the Ka'ba is set in the south-east wall, about seven feet from the ground. Inside there are three wooden pillars, which support the roof. The interior is furnished with many gold and silver lamps. On the inner walls, there are several bands of inscriptions which record the many repairs done to the Ka'ba.
The Holy Qur'an makes it clear that the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael were the true founders of the Ka'ba, together building the holy shrine dedicated to the worship of the one true God.
Five times each day more than a billion Muslims around the world turn to face the direction of the Ka'ba to offer their prayers to the one true God. It is also, of course, the focal point of the Hajj when, once each year, some two million pilgrims converge on the Holy City of Makkah.
Set into the eastern corner of the Ka'ba is the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad). The Black Stone predates Islam but now, set in a silver frame, forms an integral part of the Ka'ba. In the course of the pilgrimage, Hajjis will kiss, touch, or at least point towards the Black Stone, which derives its sanctity from the fact it was kissed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
On the roof of the Ka'ba is a gilt water spout (al-Masabb) which projects out from the north-west wall.
Opposite the north-west wall of the Ka'ba, but not joined to it, is a semi-circular wall called al-Hateem, which is 5ft high and 3ft thick. This area is also known as Hijr Isma'il, and was once part of the Ka'ba and believed to contain the graves of Ishmael and his mother, Hagar; it is for these two reasons that pilgrims do not enter the Hateem while performing the Tawaf.
To the north-east side of the Ka'ba is the Place of Abraham (Maqam Ibrahim), a small kiosk of glass and metal topped by a small dome. Inside is the stone on which Ibrahim stood while building the Ka'ba.
Nearly opposite the Black Stone, near Maqam Ibrahim, is the Well of Zamzam, which quenched Hagar's thirst and is said to have miraculous properties.
Initially, the mosque was much smaller than it is today but, over time, it has been gradually expanded. Under the Ottomans it grew to roughly the size of the current courtyard (Mataf). Great expansion work has taken place under the Saudi government along with modernisation of architecture. It has also been outfitted with modern conveniences such as air conditioners and escalators. The outside of the current mosque has a splendid marble facade, and it has three stories, each of which can hold thousands of worshippers.
According to Islamic belief, the mosque was first built by the angels before the creation of mankind. God had ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Maamur, which was the worshipping place for the angels and is believed to be directly above the Ka'ba.
Adam was the first human to re-build it, and time to time the mosque was destroyed due to many causes. According to popular belief it was last built by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) with the help of his son Ishmael. Historical accounts mention various builders who rebuilt the Ka'ba. Among those who were mentioned to have built the Holy Ka'ba are the following:
1. The Angels (peace be upon them).
2. Adam (peace be upon him). It was said that it was built by Adam (peace be upon him) assisted by the Angels (peace be upon them).
3. Seth, son of Adam (peace be upon them).
4. Abraham and his son, Ishmael (peace be upon them).
5. AI-Amaliqah.
6. Jurhum.
7. Qusai, the fourth grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him).
8. Quraish. Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) was present during this construction and participated, five years before his mission, by carrying the stones with the help of his uncle, AI-Abbas, to the site of the building. He also played a wise role in settling who was eligible to put the Black Stone in its place.
9. Abdullah ibn Al-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them) in the year 65 AH. This was after the siege of AI-Husayn ibn Numair, who came with his army on behalf of Yazeed ibn Muawiyah to wage war against lbn AI-Zubair. He attacked the Holy Ka'ba with catapults, causing its walls to collapse and burn. This necessitated its complete demolition and reconstruction after the withdrawal of Al-Husayn and his army.
10. AI-Hajjaj in the year 74 AH. In fact, the construction by AI-Hajjaj is not considered as a comprehensive addition as it was only the demolition of the additions made by Ibn AI-Zubair.
11. The Ottoman Sultan Murad Khan, in the year 1040 AH, after most of the sides of the Holy Ka'ba were destroyed as a consequence of heavy rains and torrents which flooded Makkah on the afternoon and evening of Thursday 20 Sha'ban, 1039 AH.
Those were the builders of the Ka'ba through history. The main aim and objective of writing this record is to shed light on the architectural setup in the history of the Ka'ba. As previously mentioned, some of the views are presumptive. Our statement is confined to the concise summing up of the history of the construction of the Ka'ba which is historically and lawfully valid. This includes the building by Abraham, in collaboration with his son Ismail (peace be upon them), and the building by Quraish to which Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) contributed when he was thirtyfive years old. Add to this, the building by Abdullah Ibn Al-Zubair, and the demolition of those additions by Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, and the building by the Ottoman Sultan, Murad Khan in 1040 H. This leads us up to the subject of this great, historical record which is the complete and comprehensive renovations of the edifice of the Ka'ba made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 21°25'20"N 39°49'34"E
- Al-Masa'a 0.3 km
- Al-Haram Mosque (Great Mosque of Mecca) 0.9 km
- Jannat al-Mu'alla (Southern Section) 1.4 km
- Jannat al-Mu'alla (Northern Section) 1.8 km
- Princess Hessah Mosque 3.8 km
- Mina 4.1 km
- Masjid Al Khaif 5.3 km
- Aisha Sulaiman Al Rajhi Mosque 6.6 km
- The Kiswa Factory of the Holy Ka'aba 7.6 km
- Makkah 26 km
- Mount Abu Kubais 0.3 km
- Sub-Municipality Ajyad Region 0.7 km
- Makkah Metro Station and Transport Hub 0.7 km
- Jabal Omar Development 0.7 km
- Marwa Metro Station and Parking 0.8 km
- Al Misfalah 1 km
- Ajyad Alssad 1 km
- Jabal Al Medfa'a 1.1 km
- District Cooling Plant 1.7 km
- King Abdul Aziz Road Development (Under Construction) 2.9 km
Comments