The Kaaba or Ka’bah is a large cube-shaped building. It is located inside the al-Masjid al-Haram (“Sacred mosque”) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Muslims believe that the Kaaba is the House of God (Allah). Muslims therefore consider the Kaaba to be the holiest place on earth.
According to Islamic sources, the Kaaba was a place of worship for angels before the creation of men. According to the Qur’an, it was the first house of worship on Earth.
Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (Hajj) once in a lifetime. During the Hajj, they circle the Kaaba.
All Muslims have to face towards the Kaaba when they pray. The direction of the Kaaba has a special name: the qibla.
Text adapted from Simple English Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0.
Miniature View of the Holy Sanctuary at Mecca, Khalili Collection of Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage MSS 1078
