Al-Masjid Al-Haram is in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest and oldest
mosque in the world and surrounds one of Islam's holiest places, the Kaaba. Muslims face in
the direction of the Kaaba while performing Salat. One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires
every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able
to do so, including circumambulation of the Kaaba.
The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres including the outdoor and indoor
praying spaces and can accommodate up to two million worshipers during the Hajj period,
one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world. Unlike many other mosques which
are segregated, men and women can worship at Al-Masjid Al-Haram together.
History
Pre-Muhammad According to Islamic tradition the very first
construction of the Kaaba, the heart of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, was undertaken by Abraham. The Qur'an
said that this was the first house built for humanity to worship Allah.[Quran 3:96]
With the order of the God [Quran 22:26], Ibrahim and his son Ismael found the original
foundation and rebuilt the Kaaba [Quran 2:125] [Quran 2:127] in 2130 BCE. Hajar-Al-Aswad,
the Black Stone situated on the lower side of the eastern corner of the Kaaba, is believed
to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Ibraham.
Muslim belief also places the incident of Ismael's mother searching for water in the
general vicinity of the mosque. In the story, Hagar runs between the hills of Safa and Marwah
looking for water for her infant son until God eventually reveals to her the Zamzam Well.
The "Zamzam well" and "Safa and Marwah" are structures in Al-Masjid al-Haram.
First Islamic Era Upon Muhammad's victorious return to Mecca
in 630, Muhammad and his son-in-law, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, broke the idols in and around the
Kaaba and ended its pagan use. This began the Islamic rule over the Kaaba and the building
of Al-Masjid Al-Haram around it. The first major renovation to the mosque took
place in 692. Before this renovation, which included the mosque's outer walls being raised
and decoration added to the ceiling, the mosque was a small open area with the Kaaba at the
center. By the end of the 8th century, the Mosque's old wooden columns had been replaced
with marble columns and the wings of the prayer hall had been extended on both sides along
with the addition of a minaret. The spread of Islam in the Middle East and the influx
of pilgrims required an almost complete rebuilding of the site which included adding more marble
and three more minarets. Ottomans
In 1570, Sultan Selim II commissioned the chief architect Mimar Sinan to renovate the
mosque. This renovation resulted in the replacement of the flat roof with domes decorated with
calligraphy internally, and the placement of new support columns which are acknowledged
as the earliest architectural features of the present mosque. These features are the
oldest surviving parts of the building. During the heavy rains and flash floods of
1621 and 1629, the walls of the Kaaba and the mosque suffered extensive damage. In 1629,
during the reign of Sultan Murad IV, the Kaaba was rebuilt with stones from Mecca and the
mosque was renovated. In the renovation of the mosque, a new stone arcade was added,
three more minarets were built, and the marble flooring was retiled. This was the unaltered
state of the mosque for nearly three centuries. Saudis
The first major renovation under the Saudi kings was done between 1955 and 1973. In this
renovation, four more minarets were added, the ceiling was refurnished, and the floor
was replaced with artificial stone and marble. The Mas'a gallery is included in the Masjid
via roofing and enclosements. During this renovation many of the historical features
built by the Ottomans, particularly the support columns, were demolished.
The second Saudi renovations under King Fahd, added a new wing and an outdoor prayer area
to the mosque. The new wing, which is also for prayers, is accessed through the King
Fahd Gate. This extension is considered to have been from 1982 to 1988.
The third Saudi extension saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a King's
residence overlooking the Masjid and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself.
These developments have taken place simultaneously with those in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah.
This third extension has also resulted in 18 more gates, three domes corresponding in
position to each gate and the installation of nearly 500 marble columns. Other modern
developments include the addition of heated floors, air conditioning, escalators and a
drainage system. Current expansion project
In 2007, the mosque underwent a fourth extension project which is estimated to last until 2020.
King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Azeez plans to increase the mosque's capacity to 2 million.
Northern expansion of the mosque began in August 2011 and is expected to be completed
in 1.5 years. The area of the mosque will be expanded from the current 356,000 m2 to
400,000 m2. A new gate named after King Abdullah will be built together with two new minarets,
bringing their total to 11. The cost of the project is $10.6 billion and after completion
the mosque will house over 2.5 million worshipers. The Mataf will also see expansion and all
closed spaces will be air conditioned. Controversies on expansion projects
There has been some controversy that the expansion projects of the mosque and Mecca itself are
causing harm to early Islamic heritage. Many ancient buildings, some more than a thousand
years old, have been demolished to make room not only for the expansion of Al-Masjid Al-Haram,
but for new malls and hotels. Some examples are:
Bayt Al-Mawlid, the house where Muhammad was born demolished and rebuilt as a library.
Dar Al-Arqam, the first Islamic school where Muhammad taught flattened to lay marble tiles.
The house of Abu Jahal has been demolished and replaced by public washrooms.
Dome which served as a canopy over the Well of Zamzam demolished.
Some Ottoman porticos at Al-Masjid Al-Haram demolished and the remaining under threat.
House of Muhammed in Medina where he lived after the migration from Mecca.
Religious significance The importance of the mosque is twofold. It
not only serves as the common direction towards which Muslims pray, but is also the main location
for pilgrimages. Qibla
The Qibla—the direction that Muslims turn to in their prayers—is toward the Kaaba
and symbolizes unity in worshiping one Allah. At one point the direction of the Qibla was
toward Bayt Al-Maqdis, however, this only lasted for seventeen months, after which the
Qibla became oriented towards the Kaaba in Mecca. According to accounts from Muhammad's
companions, the change happened very suddenly during the noon prayer at Medina in the Masjid
al-Qiblatain. Pilgrimage
The Haram is the focal point of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages that occur in the month
of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar and at any time of the year, respectively. The
Hajj pilgrimage is one of the Pillars of Islam, required of all able-bodied Muslims who can
afford the trip. In recent times, about 3 million Muslims perform the Hajj every year.
Some of the rituals performed by pilgrims are symbolic of historical incidents. For
example, the episode of Hagar's search for water is emulated by Muslims as they run between
the two hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah. The Hajj is associated with the life of the
Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered
by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Ibrahim.
Symbolic Structures Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in the center of Al-Masjid Al-Haram and is one of
the most sacred sites in Islam. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers,
no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qibla.
The Hajj requires pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction.
This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah.
Black Stone
The Black Stone is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba. It was set intact into the Kaaba
's wall by Muhammad in the year 605, five years before his first revelation. Since then
it has been broken into a number of fragments and is now cemented into a silver frame in
the side of the Kaaba. Its physical appearance is that of a fragmented dark rock, polished
smooth by the hands of millions of pilgrims. Many of the pilgrims, if possible, stop and
kiss the Black Stone, emulating the kiss that Islamic tradition records it having received
from Muhammad. If they cannot reach it, they point to it on each of their seven circuits
around the Kaaba . Maqām Ibrahim
The Maqām Ibrahim is a rock that reportedly has an imprint of Abraham's foot, which is
kept in a crystal dome next to the Kaaba. This rock was identified by most Islamic scholars
as the one behind which Muhammad prayed when he circumambulated the Kaaba. Several traditions
existed to explain how Abraham's footprint miraculously appeared in the stone, including
one suggesting it appeared when Abraham stood on the stone while building the Kaaba; when
the walls became too high, Abraham stood on the maqām, which miraculously rose up to
let him continue building and also miraculously went down in order to allow Ishmail to hand
him stones. Other traditions held that the footprint appeared when the wife of Ishmail
washed Abraham's head, or alternatively when Abraham stood atop it in order to summon the
people to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. Al-Safa and Al-Marwa
Al-Safa and Al-Marwah are two hills, now located in Al-Masjid Al-Haram. In Islamic tradition,
Ibrahim's wife Hagar runs between the hills of Safa and Marwah looking for water for her
infant son Ishmael until God eventually reveals her the Zamzam. Muslims also travel back and
forth seven times during the ritual pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah as a remembrance to her.
Al-Safa – from which the ritual walking begins – is located approximately half a
mile from the Kaaba. Al-Marwah is located about 100 m from the Kaaba. The distance
between Safa and Marwah is approximately 450 m Zamzam Well
The Zamzam Well is a well located 20 m east of the Kaaba. It began circa 2150 BCE when
Abraham's infant son Ishmael was thirsty and kept crying for water.
Administration Muadhins
Nowadays, several families share adhan duties in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, including Mulla, Shaker,
Rayes, Al-Abbas, Hadrawi, Basnawi, Khouj, Marouf and Faydah. Some of these families
held this position for hundreds of years; for example, the al-Abbas. There are 16 Muadhins
at the mosque, and during Ramadan an additional six are appointed. Apart from adhan, a Muadhin
also supports Imams by repeating some of what they say in a loud voice.
Imams See also
Ḥ-R-M Islamic architecture
List of famous mosques Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, Medina
Masjid Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem Incidents during the Hajj
References
External links Gallery of images of Mecca at 3dmekanlar.com
Mecca, Kaaba, Al-Masjid 360 Degree Virtual Tour at 360tr.net
Kaaba, Al-Masjid 360 Degree Virtual Tour at 360tr.com
Direction of the Kaaba at QiblaLocator.com Recordings from Al-Masjid al-Haram at Haramain.info
Architectural discussion of Al-Masjid al-Haram at Archnet.org
Gallery Masjid Al-Haram