The Forbidden Mosque of Al-Haram (Al-Masjid Al-Haram)
The Great al-Haram is the largest mosque of Islamic heritage. It is located in Mecca, the center of pilgrimage for Muslims around the world. Saudi law prohibits those who do not practice Islam from entering the city, so not every tourist can see the Al-Haram. Not everyone will touch the Kaaba (“quadrangle” from Arabic), the most revered Islamic shrine within the walls of the Al-Haram Mosque. Before entering it, the pilgrim performs tawaf, a ritual that involves going around the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise. The “way” should be accompanied by religious actions: touching the shrine, kissing it and praying. Only then will the believer be allowed to ask Allah for forgiveness.
Video: Al-Haram Mosque
Contents- General Information
- History of Al-Haram Mosque
- Reconstructions of Masjid Al-Haram
Al-Haram Mosque’s architectural complex - Tragedies on the holy land of Al-Haram
- Interesting facts about Al-Haram Mosque
- How to get there
General Information
Al-Haram is a cathedral mosque where the Muslim community prays at noon on Friday. The building can accommodate 900,000 worshippers, and during the Hajj, up to 4 million Muslim pilgrims gather there! But the authenticity of the Temple of Allah is not only in its capacity. The history of erection, specificity of architecture, special status for believers – all this makes Masjid al-Haram a unique monument of the Islamic religion, to the walls of which hundreds of thousands of Muslims come.
.History of Al-Haram Mosque
Reserved, great, forbidden – these are the epithets used to name the main mosque of the holy city of Mecca. As mentioned above, the architectural monument preserves the greatness of Muslimism and the holy Kaaba, which, according to the Koran, was erected by the prophet Abraham at the behest of Allah. After the construction was completed, an angel brought a stone that crowned the eastern corner of the cubic-shaped structure. In obedience to revelation, the Prophet narrated the most important shrine of Islam, to which every self-respecting Muslim can make a pilgrimage.
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It was around the Kaaba in 638 that construction of the first temple to serve God began, but it did not become famous until 1570. Originally, the Forbidden Mosque looked like an open space surrounded by wooden columns, with the building “al-Bayt al-Haram” (the second name of the Kaaba – “the sacred house”) in the center.
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Reconstructions of Masjid al-Haram
During the first reconstruction of the mosque in the 7th century, wooden columns were replaced with marble columns, the prayer hall was enlarged, and minarets were added near the mosque building itself.
But even reconstructed Al-Haram Mosque could not accommodate all Muslim pilgrims, the number of which increased every year. This was the reason for the second reconstruction, this time in the 16th century. The domes, calligraphically painted on the inside, took the place of the mosque’s roof, and the supporting columns were once again replaced..
When the Kaaba was damaged by heavy rains, it was rebuilt, using stones from Mecca. It seemed that the fate of the reconstruction would not affect Al-Haram itself, but the number of minarets of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul determined the building’s fate. Sultan Ahmed, listening to the words of the Imam of Mecca, gave the order to add a seventh minaret, because no mosque can be equal to the one that keeps the Kaaba in itself.
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Three centuries later, Masjid al-Haram was reconstructed twice. Eventually, the King Fahd Gate was added to the mosque building, through which Muslims entered a new complex with two minarets.
The XXI century was a significant one for the mosque: another full-scale reconstruction unfolded on its territory. Two minarets and the King Abdullah Gate joined the architectural composition of Al-Haram. About 10.5 billion dollars were spent on the construction.
.Al-Haram Mosque’s architectural composition
At the moment, the most important architectural monument of Islam occupies an area of 357 thousand km². Masjid al-Haram counts 500 columns of marble and 9 minarets, reaching a height of 95 meters. You can enter the territory of the sacred place through the main gate. There are four of them: al-Fath Gate, al-‘Umrah Gate, King Fahd Gate and King ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Gate. In addition to these, there are 44 secondary entrances through which Muslim pilgrims pass daily. Lighting in the mosque is created by two special power plants.
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During the pilgrimage, the three floors of the mosque may not be sufficient for the influx of those wishing to offer prayers to Allah. For this reason, many Muslims are accommodated in the prayer rooms of the basements or on the roof, which is finished with marble slabs for this purpose.
Tragedies in the holy land of Al-Haram
The Hajj is not the only event remembered within the walls of the world’s oldest mosque. Unfortunately, there have also been tragedies that have marred the memory of Muslim worshippers at Al-Haram.
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Terrorist act of the late 20th century
In November 1979, thousands of Muslims gathered on the grounds of Masjid al-Haram for traditional morning prayers. The peaceful calm was shattered by gunshots echoing inside the building. Batons, the only weapon of the guards, were not enough to resist. Unidentified men armed to the teeth took full control of the mosque, blocking the exits and turning the high minarets into firing points. It later emerged that none other than Juhayman al-Utaibi, who had previously served in the National Guard, was behind the terrorist attack. In his main associate, Mohammed al-Utahni, the rebels saw the renewer of the Islamic religion, promised to them in ancient times by the prophecy of the Mahdi, so they obeyed their commander unconditionally.
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The terrorists held the pilgrims under siege for two weeks before being crushed by Saudi forces. The death toll reached 255, including both extremists and worshippers. Juhayman al-Utaybi and his henchmen were publicly executed by beheading in Mecca’s central square.
.Crane falls on mosque
A violent sandstorm that hit the holy city in September 2015 caused a tragedy that occurred during construction. A crane fell directly into the eastern side of Masjid al-Haram, thus breaking through the roof. The victims of the incident were 107 people and about 240 worshippers were injured. Despite the tragedy, the Hajj still took place.
.Interesting facts about Al-Haram Mosque
The main mosque of the city is repeatedly mentioned in the Quran, and this makes it a unique monument of the Islamic religion. A few facts are of particular interest.
.- According to legend, the Black Stone embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba was originally white, but later changed color to black from the filth and sins of mankind. The stone was later touched by the Prophet Muhammad’s walking stick, thus making it a shrine.
- The corners of the cubic Kaaba are oriented to the four sides of the world: north (Iraqi), east (stone), south (Yemeni), and west (Levantine). .
- The Bani Shaibah family has long guarded the entrance to the main shrine of the Muslims. Their descendant was chosen for this role by the Prophet Muhammad himself. The tradition continues to this day. The family performs the regular ablution of the Kaaba twice a year: two weeks before Hajj and before Ramadan. .
- Muslims always pray by turning to face Mecca (more specifically, the mosque and the Kaaba within it). In Islam, this custom is called “Qibla” – the direction in which all religious rituals should be performed.
- Besides the Kaaba, Masjid al-Haram hides other shrines within its walls: the Maqam of Ibrahim and the well of Zamzam.
The popularity of the Al-Haram Mosque was the main reason for the improvement of infrastructure in its vicinity. In particular, the Abraj al-Bayt skyscraper complex was erected. Its individual towers are occupied by hotels, whose guests daily admire the majesty of the Islamic religion directly from the windows of their rooms.
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How to get there
Tourists who do not profess Islam are deprived of the opportunity to visit the largest mosque in the city, but Muslims can come to its walls at any time. The address is known to every believer: Mecca 24231. You can get to the Al-Haram Mosque in two ways: on foot and by car. In the second case, it is worth driving on roads #15, King Fahd Rd or King Abdul Aziz Rd.
.Pilgrims say that in this sacred place, the connection with Allah is felt as strong as ever. The prayer said here is considered the most sincere and spiritual. There is no difference between rich and poor, good and bad, fair-skinned and swarthy, young and old in the mosque. Masjid al-Haram is a one-of-a-kind place where every Muslim feels an unparalleled awe, which is why the holy mosque of Mecca becomes a haven for millions of Muslim worshippers every year.
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