Kaaba and Grand Mosque, Mecca

by Kelly Poduch, Hannah Ahlrichs, and Kelly Murphy

 Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram)

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by Al Jazeera English, used under

The Grand Mosque in Mecca is the site of the Hajj pilgrimage, attracting millions of worshipers each year. The mosque was built to enclose the Kaaba, one of the holiest shrines in Islam.

Kaaba
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History

The first Muslim building on the site was a wall around the Kaaba created in the year 638. Further embellishments and other architectural additions were made throughout the years such as columns, outer walls, and a partial ceiling. The modernization of the mosque took place throughout the twentieth century. The mosque gained an electric system, escalators, and a pedestrian tunnel during the many renovations it endured throughout the nineteen-hundreds.

The final renovation was in 1984, and it enlarged the site of the mosque from about 1,360,00 square feet to 3,840,000 square feet. The immense amount of renovations to the Grand Mosque was primarily due to the increase in the amount of people actively participating in the Hajj each year; the capacity of the mosque went from being able to hold 500,000 people to about 820,000 worshipers. There are more renovations planned for the coming years that will aim to accomdate more than 1.2 million more people in the mosque.

Mosque Architecture


by Al Jazeera English, used under

The Grand Mosque is composed of a rectangular courtyard which is in the center of the mosque. The courtyard is the location of the circulation ritual of the Kaaba that takes place during the Hajj. The courtyard also contains the Zamzam well which is the sacred spring. Along the east and north ends of the courtyard stand the two hills which pilgrims run between as ritual during the Hajj as well. The outer architecture of the Grand Mosque differs from the traditional mosque architecture with respect to the domes. The Grand Mosque does not have an overarching dome over the entire mosque, the sky over the courtyard represents the dome. The Grand Mosque does, however, have about eight smaller domes throughout the roof. The roof allows for additional space for more worshipers to fill the entirety of the mosque. The mosque retains the traditional architecture with regards to the minarets, columns, and arches. The mosque contains a total of nine minarets, each with a height of about two hundred and ninety two feet.

Kaaba

The Black Stone
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From any given point in the world, the direction facing the Kaaba is called the Quibla. All Muslims must this direction when they participate in their daily prayers. The Kaaba is the center of the Tawaf, which is the ritual that takes place during the Hajj in which participants circumnavigate the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times. The Kiswa is the embroidered covering over the Kaaba. It is black silk with gold embroidery and is replaced annually before the Hajj. The embroidery is extremely intricate and includes the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. The Kaaba is a fifteen foot high structure that stands in the center of the courtyard within the Grand Mosque of Mecca. It consists of one room without windows and is cube shaped. In the lower side of the eastern corner of the cube structure, is the Black Stone, believed to have been brought by an angel from Heaven. This stone symbolizes eternity because of its extreme durability. Many pilgrims kiss and touch it because of its holy nature. The Kaaba symbolizes the place of worship of one God while the cube structure symbolizes simplicity and the sense of infinity. According to the Quran, the first construction of the Kaaba was by Adam as a place to worship Allah. Ibrahim and Ishmael reconstructed the Kaaba later on. It is more likely, however, that it was erected by a cult whose meaning has long since been forgotten. There were at one point about 360 idols surrounding the shrine that represented the days of the year. Mohammed later adopted the Kaaba as an Islamic shrine to Allah.

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by menj, used under

 

Armstrong, Karen. Islam: A Short History. New York: Modern Library, 2002. Print.

“Great Mosque of Mecca (mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia).” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

“OnIslam.net.” Historic Masjid Al-Haram Extension Launched. Onislam, 01 Aug. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.