Masjid al-Haram

Islam’s holiest site and the world’s largest mosque, surrounding the Kaaba.

The mosque is at the centre of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, in which pilgrims walk around the Kaaba. It also holds other important sites: the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, the Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa. Muslims believe the prophet Abraham, with his son Ishmael, built the Kaaba. The mosque is now under the King of Saudi Arabia, who holds the title Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Growing over the centuries

The mosque has been enlarged many times. In 637 the caliph Umar added 1,500 square metres to make room for more worshippers. Under the Umayyads, around 692, the outer walls were raised, and by the end of the 8th century marble columns replaced wooden ones. In 1570 Sultan Selim II had the architect Mimar Sinan replace the flat roof with domes decorated with calligraphy inside. The Ottoman supports from that renovation are the oldest surviving parts of the building.

The Saudi expansions

The first Saudi renovation, from 1955 to 1976, added four more minarets and brought the Mas'a gallery between Safa and Marwa inside the mosque. Later expansions added new wings, and air conditioning. The King Abdullah expansion was planned to raise the mosque's capacity from about 770,000 to over 2.5 million worshippers. In 2012 the Abraj Al Bait complex with the 601-metre Makkah Royal Clock Tower was completed nearby.

What pilgrims do here

The rites of both Hajj and Umrah include circling the Kaaba inside the mosque. Every Muslim who is able should make the Hajj at least once in a lifetime, while Umrah, a lesser pilgrimage, can be made any time of year. Pilgrims also walk between Safa and Marwa and drink from Zamzam. In the courtyard, the Kaaba stands in the middle with the Black Stone set in its eastern corner.

On the globe

The model shows the huge mosque complex around the central Kaaba, with its tall minarets. Look for the open circle in the middle.