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Masjid al-Haram (Arabic:المسجد الحرام,romanized: al-Masjid al-Ḥarām,lit. 'The Sacred Mosque'),[4] also known as theSacred Mosque[5] or theGreat Mosque of Mecca,[6] is considered to be the most significantmosque inIslam.[7][8] It encloses the vicinity of theKaaba inMecca, in thewestern region ofSaudi Arabia. It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with theHajj, which everyMuslim must perform at least once in their lives if able. It is also the main site for the performance of ʿUmrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages includecircumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as theBlack Stone, theZamzam Well,Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills ofSafa and Marwa.[9]
The Great Mosque contends with theQuba Mosque inMedina as the oldest mosque.[12] According to Islamic tradition, Islam as a religion precedesMuhammad,[13][14][15] representing previousprophets such asAbraham.[16] According to Islamic scholars, Abraham is seen as having built theKaaba inMecca, and consequently its sanctuary, which according to the Muslim view is seen as the first mosque[17] that ever existed.[18][19][20] According to other scholars, Islam started during the lifetime of Muhammad in the 7th centuryCE.[21] The Quba Mosque is, according to tradition, the first mosque founded in Muhammad's time, shortly before he founded what is now called theProphet's Mosque in Medina.[22]
According to Islamic tradition in theQuran,Abraham, together with his sonIsmael, raised the foundations of a house,[23] which has been identified by commentators as the Kaaba. According to Islamic tradition, it is said that Allah showed Abraham the exact site, which was previously built byAdam, very near to what is now theWell of Zamzam. After Abraham had built the Kaaba, an angel is said to have brought him theBlack Stone, a celestial stone that, according to tradition, had fallen from Heaven on the nearby hillAbu Qubays. The Black Stone is believed by Islamic scholars to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Abraham.
After placing the Black Stone in the Eastern corner of the Kaaba, Abraham reportedly received a revelation in which God told the aged prophet that he should now go and proclaim the pilgrimage to mankind, so that men may come both from Arabia and from lands far away, on camel and on foot.[24]
Upon Muhammad'svictorious return to Mecca in 630CE, him and a number of theSahaba including Ali broke the idols in and around the Kaaba,[25] similar to what, according to the Quran, Abraham did in his homeland. Thus ended polytheistic use of the Kaaba, and began monotheistic rule over it and its sanctuary.[26][27][28][29]
The first major renovation to the mosque took place in 692, on the orders ofAbd al-Malik ibn Marwan.[30] Before this renovation, which included the mosque's outer walls being raised, 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 aminaret on the orders ofAl-Walid I.[31][32] Thespread 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.[citation needed]
In 1570,SultanSelim II commissioned the chief architectMimar Sinan to renovate the mosque. This renovation resulted in the replacement of the flat roof with domes decorated withcalligraphy 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 heavy rains and flash floods in 1621 and 1629, the walls of the Kaaba and the mosque suffered extensive damage.[33] In 1629, during the reign of SultanMurad IV, the mosque was renovated. In the renovation of the mosque, a new stone arcade was added, three more minarets (bringing the total to seven) were built, and the marble flooring was retiled. This was the unaltered state of the mosque for nearly three centuries.
The Great Mosque in an illustration of theDala'il al-Khayrat of Mustafa Halim, 1750
The Great Mosque in an illustration of theFutuh al-Haramayn ofMuhi Al-Din Lari, 1582
The first major renovation under the Saudi kings was done between 1955 and 1976. 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 (As-Safa and Al-Marwah) is included in the Mosque, via roofing and enclosures. During this renovation many of the historical features built by the Ottomans, particularly the support columns, weredemolished.
On 20 November 1979, the Great Mosque wasseized by extremist insurgents who called for the overthrow of the Saudi dynasty. They took hostages and in the ensuing siege hundreds were killed. These events came as a shock to the Islamic world, as violence is strictly forbidden within the mosque.
The second Saudi renovations underKing Fahd, added a new wing and an outdoor prayer area to the mosque. The new wing, which is also for prayers, is reached through the King Fahd Gate. This extension was performed between 1986 and 1994.[34]
1987 to 2005 saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of aKing's residence overlooking the mosque and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments took place simultaneously with those inArafat,Mina andMuzdalifah. This extension also added 18 more gates, three domes corresponding in position to each gate and the installation of nearly 500 marble columns. Other modern developments added heated floors, air conditioning, escalators and a drainage system.[citation needed]
In addition, the King Fahd expansion includes 6 dedicated prayer halls for people with disabilities. These halls have ramps to facilitate entry and exit with wheelchairs, as well as dedicated paths and free electric and manual carts for their use.[35]
In 2008, the Saudi government underKing Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz announced an expansion[36] of the mosque, involving theexpropriation of land to the north and northwest of the mosque covering 300,000 m2 (3,200,000 sq ft). At that time, the mosque covered an area of 356,800 m2 (3,841,000 sq ft) including indoor and outdoor praying spaces. 40 billion riyals (US$10.6 billion) was allocated for the expansion project.[37]
In August 2011, the government underKing Abdullah announced further details of the expansion. It would cover an area of 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft) and accommodate 1.2 million worshippers, including a multi-level extension on the north side of the complex, new stairways and tunnels, a gate named after King Abdullah, and two minarets, bringing the total number of minarets to eleven. The circumambulation areas (Mataf) around the Kaaba would be expanded and all closed spaces receive air conditioning. After completion, it would raise the mosque's capacity from 770,000 to over 2.5 million worshippers.[38][39]His successor,King Salman launched five megaprojects as part of the overall King Abdullah Expansion Project in July 2015, covering an area of 456,000 m2 (4,910,000 sq ft). The project was carried out by theSaudi Binladin Group.[40] In 2012, theAbraj Al Bait complex was completed along with the 601-meter-tall (1,972 ft) Makkah Royal Clock Tower.
On 11 September 2015, at least 111 people died and 394 were injuredwhen a crane collapsed onto the mosque.[41][42][43][44][45] Construction work was suspended after the incident, and remained on hold due to financial issues during the2010s oil glut. Development was eventually restarted two years later in September 2017.[46]
On 5 March 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, the mosque began to be closed at night and the Umrah pilgrimage was suspended to limit attendance.[47] The resumption of Umrah service began on 4 October 2020 with the first phase of a gradual resumption that was limited to Saudi citizens and expatriates from within the Kingdom at a rate of 30 percent.[48] Only 10,000 people were given Hajj visas in 2020 while 60,000 people were given visas in 2021.
The Great Mosque is the main setting for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages[49] that occur in the month ofDhu al-Hijja in theIslamic 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, over 5 million Muslims perform the Hajj every year.[50]
TheKaaba is acuboid-shaped building in the centre of the Masjid al-Haram and is themost sacred site in Islam.[51] It is theqibla(direction of prayer) forMuslims worldwide. It is the focal point of theHajj andUmrah rites. Thepilgrims perform thetawaf (circumambulation) around its exterior.[51][52][53] TheKaaba's fabric covering (kiswah) is replaced annually in a formal ceremony.
A technical drawing of theKaaba showing dimensions and elements
Adjacent to theKaaba is theHijr Ismail, also known as the Hatim, a low semi-circular wall that marks an area historically regarded as part of the original footprint of theKaaba.[54]
TheBlack Stone is set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba's external wall. Historically and culturally venerated in Islamic tradition, the stone today exists as several fragments within a silver frame and is a focal point of devotion duringtawaf.[55][56]
The mataf is the open, circular, paved area immediately surrounding theKaaba wheretawaf (circumambulation) is performed. Over centuries the mataf has been enlarged and modernised, including multi-level and climate-controlled expansions to accommodate the large and growing numbers of pilgrims that visit duringHajj and throughout the year.[57] Major 20th- and 21st-century Saudi expansion programmes substantially increased the mataf’s capacity.[38][39]
Maqam Ibrahim is a small square stone associated in Islamic tradition with theAbraham (Ibrahim). It is displayed near theKaaba under a protective enclosure.[58] According to Islamic tradition, theimprint on the stone came from Abraham's feet.[59][60] It is the only standing historic structure in theMataf area out of at least six other, which were removed to clear the area for the circumambulation (tawaf).[61]
Safa and Marwa are two small hills within the mosque precinct, connected by the enclosed al-Mas'a walkway, where pilgrims perform thesaʿī ritual duringHajj andUmrah.[62] The ritual commemoratesHājar (Hagar), wife ofAbraham and mother ofIsmail, who ran between the hills searching for water for her infant son.[63][64] The area was historically separate but incorporated into Masjid al-Haram during 20th-century expansions.[38]
Mouth-piece of the Zamzam well from the Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques Architecture Museum[65]
TheZamzam well, located 20 m (66 ft) east of theKaaba,[66] is an ancient groundwater source traditionally linked toHājar andIshmael.[67][68][69] Modern engineering has enclosed the well and provides Zamzam water to pilgrims through pumping, bottling and distribution systems.[70]
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 for the expansion. Some examples are:[71][72]
Dār Al-Arqam, the Islamic school where Muhammad first taught, was flattened to lay marble tiles.[citation needed]
^General statistics of the Umrah season of 1436 A.H. until 24:00 hours, 28/09/1436 A.H. Total Number of the Mu`tamirs: 5,715,051"General statistics of the Umrah season of 1436 A.H." The Ministry of Hajj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Archived fromthe original on 13 August 2015.
^Shaykh Safi-Ar-Rahman Al-Mubarkpuri (2002).Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar): Biography of the Prophet. Dar-As-Salam Publications.ISBN1-59144-071-8.
^Chabbi, Jacqueline (2002). Peri Bearman; Thierry Bianquis; C. Edmund Bosworth; E.J. van Donzel; Wolfhart Heinrichs; H. A. R. Gibb (eds.).The encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. XI. Leiden: Brill. pp. 440–441.ISBN90-04-16121-X.OCLC399624.
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