Kaaba
The Kaaba, “The Cube”, is a dedicated direction of worship for the Muslims around the world in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In their daily and optional prayers, the Muslims would face the direction of the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the most prolific landmark in the Islamic tradition, and it is housed in the holiest mosque, Masjid Al-Haram.
Islamic traditions tell us that the Kaaba was originally built by the Prophet Abraham and his son Prophet Ishmael when they left their wife Hagar upon Allah’s (God in the English language) command.
Prior to Islam, the Kaaba was a holy site for Bedouin tribes throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Once every lunar year, the Bedouins would make a pilgrimage to Mecca, and worship their gods that were inside the Kaaba. According to Al-Azraqi, the Kaaba once had a painting of Jesus and Mary inside.
Every year, millions of Muslims visit the Kaaba and Mecca for the once-in-a-lifetime obligation of performing pilgrimage and ritual of Hajj.
