Ka'bah, the Sacred House

Without the distinctions of class, colour and culture, people circumambulates the Ka'bah.

The black square building (14 meter in height) in the central courtyard of Masjid Al Haram is the Ka'bah towards which Muslims all over the world turn for Prayer. Ka'bah in Makkah is the first house built on earth to worship Allah (the God Almighty) by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael) by the command of God.

The expansion of Masjid Al Haram after the advent of Islam started with the Caliph, Umar bin Al Khattab, in 639 A.D. After which it has been expanded eight times before the Ottoman construction in 1571 A.D.

The tenth expansion of Masjid Al Haram was in 1955 by the late King Abdul Aziz bin Saud and the latest expansion took place in 1988 by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Fahad bin Abdul Aziz.

A modern marking of one of the Haram boundaries. This boundary, Nakhlah, which is 13 km from the Masjid Al Haram is on the Makkah-Taif road.

Mount Safa & Marwah

Pilgrims walk the distance between the Safa and the Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) as an act of worship (performed during Hajj or Umrah).

"By the fig, and the olive. By Mount Sinai. By this city of security (Makkah). Verily, We created man in the best stature" (Holy Qur'an 95:1-4)