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Coordinates: 21°25′21″N 39°49′34″E / 21.42250°N 39.82611°E / 21.42250; 39.82611
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{{Short description|Mosque in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Short description|Islam's holiest mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{expand Arabic|date=January 2023|topic=struct}}
{{Infobox mosque
{{Infobox mosque
| name = The Sacred Mosque of Mecca
|name = Masjid al-Haram
| native_name = {{transliteration|ar|Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām}} ({{lang|ar|ٱَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَام}})
|native_name = {{lang-ar|اَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَامُ}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]
|native_name_lang = ar
| image = Great Mosque of Mecca1.jpg
|religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]
| caption = Aerial view of the mosque with the [[Kaaba]] at the center
|image = Masjidul-HaramAerialView_(cropped).jpg
| map_type = Saudi Arabia#Middle East
|caption = Aerial view of the Great Mosque of Mecca
| coordinates = {{coord|21|25|21|N|39|49|34|E|display=inline,title}}
|map_type = Saudi Arabia#Asia#Earth
| map_size = 250
|coordinates = {{coord|21.422|39.826|display=inline,title}}
| map_caption = Location in Saudi Arabia
|map_size = 250
| map_relief = 1
|map_caption = Location in Saudi Arabia
|location = [[Mecca]], [[Hejaz]], [[Saudi Arabia]]<ref name="Location of Masjid al-Haram">{{cite web|title=Location of Masjid al-Haram|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Masjidal-Haram&aq=&sll=24.46844,39.611807&sspn=0.011894,0.021136&vpsrc=0&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=m&z=16&cid=6183997883437107077&iwloc=A|publisher=Google Maps|access-date=24 September 2013}}</ref>
| location = [[Mecca]], [[Hejaz]] (present-day {{KSA}})<ref name="Location of Masjid al-Haram">{{cite web |title=Location of Masjid al-Haram |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Masjidal-Haram&aq=&sll=24.46844,39.611807&sspn=0.011894,0.021136&vpsrc=0&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&t=m&z=16&cid=6183997883437107077&iwloc=A |publisher=Google Maps |access-date=24 September 2013 |archive-date=25 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525232703/https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q |url-status=live }}</ref>
| tradition = Muslims
|administration = [[Saudi Arabian government]]
| administration = [[General Presidency of Haramain]]
|leadership = [[Abdur Rahman As-Sudais]]<br />[[Saud Al-Shuraim]]<br />[[Salih bin Abdullah al Humaid|Salih Humaid]]<br />[[Ali Ahmed Mullah]] <small>(Chief Mu'azzin)</small>
| leadership = [[Abdul-Rahman Al-Sudais|Abd ar-Raḥman as-Sudais]] (as President of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and Chief Imam)<br /> [[Ali Ahmed Mullah]] (Chief Mu'athin)
|architecture_type = Mosque
| architecture_type = Mosque
|established = Era of [[Abraham in Islam]]ic thought<ref name="Zeitlin">{{cite book |author=Zeitlin, I. M. |title=The Historical Muhammad |publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]] |chapter=3 |isbn=978-0745654881 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v_seJ21M0UoC |date=2013-04-25}}</ref>
| capacity = 3.0
|capacity = 4 million worshippers<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-07-27|title=Revealed: The world's 20 most expensive buildings|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/the-worlds-most-expensive-buildings/masjid-al-haram-mecca-saudi-arabia/|access-date=2020-07-26|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
million<ref>{{cite web|url=https://makkah-madinah.accor.com/makkah-guide/al-haram/|title=AL HARAM|website=makkah-madinah.accor.com}}</ref>
|site_area=356,000 square metres<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://blog.realestate.cornell.edu/2018/03/21/grandmosqueexpansion/|title=Grand Mosque Expansion Highlights Growth of Saudi Arabian Tourism Industry (6 mins)|last=Daye|first=Ali|date=21 March 2018|website=Cornell Real Estate Review|language=en-US|access-date=9 February 2019}}</ref>
| site_area = 356,000 square metres (88 acres) <ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://blog.realestate.cornell.edu/2018/03/21/grandmosqueexpansion/ |title=Grand Mosque Expansion Highlights Growth of Saudi Arabian Tourism Industry (6 mins) |last=Daye |first=Ali |date=21 March 2018 |website=Cornell Real Estate Review |language=en-US |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180524/https://blog.realestate.cornell.edu/2018/03/21/grandmosqueexpansion/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|minaret_quantity = 9
| minaret_quantity = 9
|minaret_height = {{convert|89|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| minaret_height = {{cvt|139|m|ft|0}}
}}
}}
{{Islam}}
{{Islam}}


'''Masjid al-Haram''' ({{lang-ar|اَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَامُ|translit=al-Masjid al-Ḥarām|lit=The Sacred Mosque}}),<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7jj4QLAN2coC&pg=PA69|title=Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions|page=69|last=Denny|first=Frederick M.|editor-last1=Kieckhefer|editor-first1=Richard|editor-last2=Bond|editor-first2=George D.|publisher=University of California Press|date=9 August 1990|isbn=9780520071896}}</ref> also known as the '''Great Mosque of Mecca''',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Great Mosque of Mecca {{!}} History, Expansion, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Mosque-of-Mecca|access-date=2020-08-08|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> is a [[mosque]] that surrounds the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], in the [[Makkah Province]] of [[Saudi Arabia]]. It is a site of pilgrimage in the [[Hajj]], which every [[Muslim]] must do at least once in their lives if able, and is also the main phase for the ʿ[[Umrah]], the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include [[Tawaf|circumambulating the Kaaba]] within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, including the [[Black Stone]], the [[Zamzam Well]], [[Maqam Ibrahim]], and the hills of [[Safa and Marwa]].<ref name="Cite quran|3|97|t=y|s=ns">{{Cite quran|3|97|t=y|s=ns}}</ref>
'''Masjid al-Haram''' ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|ٱَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَام}}|translit=al-Masjid al-Ḥarām|lit=The Sacred Mosque}}),<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7jj4QLAN2coC&pg=PA69 |title=Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions |page=69 |last=Denny |first=Frederick M. |editor-last1=Kieckhefer |editor-first1=Richard |editor-last2=Bond |editor-first2=George D. |publisher=University of California Press |date=9 August 1990 |isbn=9780520071896 |access-date=18 August 2019 |archive-date=18 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918143013/https://books.google.com/books?id=7jj4QLAN2coC&pg=PA69 |url-status=live }}</ref> also known as the '''Sacred Mosque''' or the '''Great Mosque of Mecca''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Great Mosque of Mecca {{!}} History, Expansion, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Mosque-of-Mecca |access-date=2020-08-08 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en |archive-date=11 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211000810/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Mosque-of-Mecca |url-status=live }}</ref> is considered to be the most significant [[mosque]] in Islam.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tUmkEAAAQBAJ&dq=masjid+al+haram+holiest+masjid&pg=PT30 | title=Holy Lands of Abrahamic Religions: A Brief History and Pilgrimage | isbn=979-8-88869-631-6 | last1=Ravindran | first1=K. | date=5 January 2023 | publisher=Notion Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EBlfEAAAQBAJ&dq=is+masjid+al+haram+the+most+important+masjid&pg=PA156 | title=Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World | date=15 January 2011 | publisher=Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC | isbn=978-0-7614-9966-4 }}</ref> It encloses the vicinity of the [[Kaaba]] in [[Mecca]], in the [[Mecca Province]] of [[Saudi Arabia]]. It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with the [[Hajj]], which every [[Muslim]] must perform at least once in their lives if able. It is also the main site for the performance of ʿ[[Umrah]], the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include [[Tawaf|circumambulating the Kaaba]] within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as the [[Black Stone]], the [[Zamzam Well]], [[Maqam Ibrahim]], and the hills of [[Safa and Marwa]].<ref name="Cite quran|3|97|t=y|s=ns">{{Cite quran|3|97 |t=y |s=ns}}</ref>


{{As of|2020|08|post=,}} the Great Mosque is the [[List of largest mosques|largest mosque]] and the [[List of largest buildings#Largest footprint|eighth largest building]] in the world. The Great Mosque has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34231620 |title=Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster |work=BBC News }}</ref> It has passed through the control of various [[caliphs]], [[List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire|sultans]] and kings, and is now under the control of the [[King of Saudi Arabia]] who is titled the [[Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/mohammad-bin-salman-moderate-islam-saudi-arabia-reform-news-10621/|title=Is Saudi Arabia Ready for Moderate Islam? - Latest Gulf News|website=www.fairobserver.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-25}}</ref>
{{As of|2024|post=,}} the Great Mosque is both the [[List of largest mosques|largest mosque]] in the world, and the [[List of most expensive buildings|most expensive building]] in the world. It has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34231620 |title=Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster |work=BBC News |date=12 September 2015 |access-date=12 February 2019 |archive-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912214722/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34231620 |url-status=live }}</ref> It has passed through the control of various [[caliphs]], [[List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire|sultans]] and kings, and is now under the control of the [[King of Saudi Arabia]] who is titled the [[Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/mohammad-bin-salman-moderate-islam-saudi-arabia-reform-news-10621/ |title=Is Saudi Arabia Ready for Moderate Islam? Latest Gulf News |website=www.fairobserver.com |date=3 November 2017 |language=en-US |access-date=2017-11-25 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044324/https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/mohammad-bin-salman-moderate-islam-saudi-arabia-reform-news-10621/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


==History==
==History==
{{Further|Beginning of Islamic architecture}}
{{Further|Islamic architecture}}


The Great Mosque contends with the [[Mosque of the Companions, Massawa|Mosque of the Companions]] in the [[Eritrea]]n city of [[Massawa]]<ref name="Reid2012Massawa">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC|title=A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present|last=Reid|first=Richard J.|date=12 January 2012|publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]]|isbn=978-0470658987|page=106|chapter=The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa|access-date=15 March 2015}}</ref> and [[Quba Mosque]] in [[Medina]] as the oldest mosque.<ref name="Palmer2016">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsvDAAAQBAJ|title=Historical Dictionary of Architecture|author=Palmer, A. L.|date=2016-05-26|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=978-1442263093|edition=2|pages=185–236}}</ref> According to some scholars, that reference Islamic tradition and the Quran, explain that the Islamic perspective claims that Islam as a religion preceded Muhammad,<ref name="Esposito1998">{{cite book|title=Islam: The Straight Path (3rd ed.)|last=Esposito|first=John|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1998|isbn=978-0-19-511234-4|pages=9, 12}}</ref><ref name="Esposito2002b">Esposito (2002b), pp. 4–5.</ref><ref name="Peters2003">{{cite book|title=Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians|last=Peters|first=F.E.|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-691-11553-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/islamguideforjew00fepe/page/9 9]|url=https://archive.org/details/islamguideforjew00fepe/page/9}}</ref> representing previous [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophets]] such as [[Abraham in Islam|Abraham]].<ref name="Alli2013">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5nRJK9sLjLsC|title=25 Prophets of Islam|last=Alli|first=Irfan|date=2013-02-26|publisher=eBookIt.com|isbn=978-1456613075}}</ref> Abraham is credited by Muslims with having built the ''Kaaba'' in [[Mecca]], and consequently its sanctuary, which according to the Muslim view is seen as the first mosque<ref name="Palmer20163">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsvDAAAQBAJ|title=Historical Dictionary of Architecture|author=Palmer, A. L.|date=2016-05-26|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|isbn=978-1442263093|edition=2nd|pages=185–236}}</ref> that ever existed.<ref name="Michigan C 19862">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p44kAQAAMAAJ|title=The Meeting of Two Worlds: Cultural Exchange Between East and West During the Period of the Crusades|author=Michigan Consortium for Medieval and Early Modern Studies|publisher=Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University|year=1986|isbn=978-0918720580|editor1=Goss, V. P.|volume=21|page=208|editor2=Bornstein, C. V.}}</ref><ref name="Abu Sway 20112">{{cite news|url=http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Abusway_0.pdf|title=The Holy Land, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Qur'an, Sunnah and other Islamic Literary Source|author=Mustafa Abu Sway|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728001911/http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Abusway_0.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-28|url-status=dead|publisher=[[Central Conference of American Rabbis]]}}</ref><ref name="Dyrness20132">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inJNAwAAQBAJ|title=Senses of Devotion: Interfaith Aesthetics in Buddhist and Muslim Communities|author=Dyrness, W. A.|date=2013-05-29|publisher=[[Wipf and Stock]] Publishers|isbn=978-1620321362|volume=7|page=25}}</ref> According to scholars, Islam started during the lifetime of [[Muhammad]] in the 7th century [[Common Era|CE]],<ref name="Watt2003">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQUZ6BGyohQC|title=Islam and the Integration of Society|last=Watt|first=William Montgomery|publisher=Psychology Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-415-17587-6|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AQUZ6BGyohQC&pg=PA5 5]|author-link=W. Montgomery Watt}}</ref> and so did architectural components such as the mosque. In that case, either the Mosque of the Companions<ref name="Reid2012Massawa2">{{cite book|title=A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present|last=Reid|first=Richard J.|date=12 January 2012|publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]]|isbn=978-0470658987|page=106|chapter=The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa|access-date=15 March 2015|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC}}</ref> or Quba Mosque would be the first mosque that was built in the history of Islam.<ref name="Palmer20163"/>
The Great Mosque contends with the [[Mosque of the Companions|Masjid As-Sahabah]] in the [[Eritrea]]n city of [[Massawa]]<ref name="Reid2012Massawa">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC |title=A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present |last=Reid |first=Richard J. |date=12 January 2012 |publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]] |isbn=978-0470658987 |page=106 |chapter=The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa |access-date=15 March 2015 |archive-date=5 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305080106/https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Quba Mosque]] in [[Medina]] as the oldest mosque.<ref name="Palmer2016">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsvDAAAQBAJ |title=Historical Dictionary of Architecture |author=Palmer, A. L. |date=2016-05-26 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |isbn=978-1442263093 |edition=2 |pages=185–236 |access-date=22 October 2018 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801023854/https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsvDAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Islamic tradition, Islam as a religion precedes Muhammad,<ref name="Esposito1998">{{cite book |title=Islam: The Straight Path (3rd ed.) |last=Esposito |first=John |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-19-511234-4 |pages=9, 12}}</ref><ref name="Esposito2002b">Esposito (2002b), pp. 4–5.</ref><ref name="Peters2003">{{cite book |title=Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians |last=Peters |first=F.E. |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-691-11553-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/islamguideforjew00fepe/page/9 9] |url=https://archive.org/details/islamguideforjew00fepe/page/9}}</ref> representing previous [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophets]] such as [[Abraham in Islam|Abraham]].<ref name="Alli2013">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5nRJK9sLjLsC |title=25 Prophets of Islam |last=Alli |first=Irfan |date=2013-02-26 |publisher=eBookIt.com |isbn=978-1456613075 |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414010428/https://books.google.com/books?id=5nRJK9sLjLsC |url-status=live }}</ref> Abraham is credited by Muslims with having built the ''Kaaba'' in [[Mecca]], and consequently its sanctuary, which according to the Muslim view is seen as the first mosque<ref name="Palmer20163">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsvDAAAQBAJ |title=Historical Dictionary of Architecture |author=Palmer, A. L. |date=2016-05-26 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |isbn=978-1442263093 |edition=2nd |pages=185–236 |access-date=22 October 2018 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801023854/https://books.google.com/books?id=aMsvDAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> that ever existed.<ref name="Michigan C 19862">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p44kAQAAMAAJ |title=The Meeting of Two Worlds: Cultural Exchange Between East and West During the Period of the Crusades |author=Michigan Consortium for Medieval and Early Modern Studies |publisher=Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University |year=1986 |isbn=978-0918720580 |editor1=Goss, V. P. |volume=21 |page=208 |editor2=Bornstein, C. V. |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=20 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120141313/https://books.google.com/books?id=p44kAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Abu Sway 20112">{{cite news |url=http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Abusway_0.pdf |title=The Holy Land, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Qur'an, Sunnah and other Islamic Literary Source |author=Mustafa Abu Sway |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728001911/http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Abusway_0.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-28 |url-status=dead |publisher=[[Central Conference of American Rabbis]]}}</ref><ref name="Dyrness20132">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inJNAwAAQBAJ |title=Senses of Devotion: Interfaith Aesthetics in Buddhist and Muslim Communities |author=Dyrness, W. A. |date=2013-05-29 |publisher=[[Wipf and Stock]] Publishers |isbn=978-1620321362 |volume=7 |page=25 |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413224454/https://books.google.com/books?id=inJNAwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to other scholars, Islam started during the lifetime of [[Muhammad]] in the 7th century [[Common Era|CE]],<ref name="Watt2003">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQUZ6BGyohQC |title=Islam and the Integration of Society |last=Watt |first=William Montgomery |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-415-17587-6 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AQUZ6BGyohQC&pg=PA5 5] |author-link=W. Montgomery Watt |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806062823/https://books.google.com/books?id=AQUZ6BGyohQC |url-status=live }}</ref> and so did architectural components such as the mosque. In that case, either the Mosque of the Companions<ref name="Reid2012Massawa2">{{cite book |title=A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present |last=Reid |first=Richard J. |date=12 January 2012 |publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]] |isbn=978-0470658987 |page=106 |chapter=The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa |access-date=15 March 2015 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC |archive-date=5 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305080106/https://books.google.com/books?id=US6RQtYwasUC |url-status=live }}</ref> or Quba Mosque would be the first mosque that was built in the history of Islam.<ref name="Palmer20163"/>


===Era of Abraham and Ishmael===
===Era of Abraham and Ismael===
According to Islamic interpretation in the [[Quran]], [[Abraham in Islam|Abraham]] together with his son [[Ishmael in Islam|Ishmael]] raised the foundations of a house,<ref name="Cite quran|2|127|t=y|s=ns">{{cite quran|2|127|t=y|s=ns}}</ref> which has been identified by commentators{{By whom|date=February 2019}} as the ''Kaaba''. God showed Abraham the exact site, very near to what is now the [[Well of Zamzam]], where Abraham and Ishmael began work on the construction of the ''Kaaba''.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} After Abraham had built the ''Kaaba'', an angel brought to him the [[Black Stone]], a celestial stone that, according to tradition, had fallen from Heaven on the nearby hill [[Abu Qubays (mountain)|Abu Qubays]].{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} The Black Stone is believed by Islamic scholars to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Abraham.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
According to Islamic doctrine in the [[Quran]], [[Abraham in Islam|Abraham]] together with his son [[Ismael in Islam|Ismael]] raised the foundations of a house,<ref name="Cite quran|2|127|t=y|s=ns">{{cite quran|2|127 |t=y |s=ns}}</ref> which has been identified by commentators as the ''Kaaba''. God showed Abraham the exact site which was previously built by [[Adam in Islam|Adam]], very near to what is now the [[Well of Zamzam]], where Abraham and Ishmael began work on the construction of the ''Kaaba''.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} After Abraham had built the ''Kaaba'', an angel brought to him the [[Black Stone]], a celestial stone that, according to tradition, had fallen from Heaven on the nearby hill [[Abu Qubays (mountain)|Abu Qubays]].{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} The Black Stone is believed by Islamic scholars to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Abraham.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}


After placing the Black Stone in the Eastern corner of the Kaaba, Abraham 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.<ref>[http://legacy.quran.com/22/27-39 Quran 22:27]</ref>
After placing the Black Stone in the Eastern corner of the Kaaba, Abraham 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legacy.quran.com/22/27-39 |title=Quran 22:27 |access-date=1 October 2016 |archive-date=3 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003073536/http://legacy.quran.com/22/27-39 |url-status=live }}</ref>


===Era of Muhammad===
===Era of Muhammad===
Upon Muhammad's [[Conquest of Mecca|victorious return to Mecca]] in 630 [[Common Era|CE]], he and his cousin, [[Ali Ibn Abi Talib]], broke the idols in and around the Kaaba,<ref name="Cite quran|21|51|e=75|s=ns">{{cite quran|21|57|e=58|s=ns}}</ref>{{Better source needed|Reason=Cited text promises to break idols but says nothing about whether it was broken|date=February 2019}} similar to what, according to the Quran, Abraham did in his homeland.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} Thus ended polytheistic use of the Kaaba, and began monotheistic rule over it and its sanctuary.<ref name="Lings">''Mecca: From Before Genesis Until Now'', M. Lings, pg. 39, Archetype</ref><ref name="Galsse">''Concise Encyclopedia of Islam'', C. Glasse, ''Kaaba'', Suhail Academy</ref><ref name="Ishaq">{{Cite book |last=Ibn Ishaq |first=Muhammad |title=Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah – The Life of Muhammad Translated by A. Guillaume |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |pages=88–9 |date=1955 |url=https://archive.org/stream/TheLifeOfMohammedGuillaume/The_Life_Of_Mohammed_Guillaume#page/n67/mode/1up |isbn=9780196360331}}</ref><ref name="armstrong">{{cite book |page=[https://archive.org/details/islamshorthistor00arms_354/page/n50 11] |title=Islam: A Short History |url=https://archive.org/details/islamshorthistor00arms_354 |url-access=limited |author=Karen Armstrong |isbn=0-8129-6618-X |date=2002}}</ref>
Upon Muhammad's [[Conquest of Mecca|victorious return to Mecca]] in 630 [[Common Era|CE]], he broke the idols in and around the Kaaba,<ref name="Cite quran|21|51|e=75|s=ns">{{cite quran|21|57 |e=58 |s=ns}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Lings">''Mecca: From Before Genesis Until Now'', M. Lings, pg. 39, Archetype</ref><ref name="Galsse">''Concise Encyclopedia of Islam'', C. Glasse, ''Kaaba'', Suhail Academy</ref><ref name="Ishaq">{{Cite book |last=Ibn Ishaq |first=Muhammad |title=Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah – The Life of Muhammad Translated by A. Guillaume |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |pages=88–9 |date=1955 |url=https://archive.org/stream/TheLifeOfMohammedGuillaume/The_Life_Of_Mohammed_Guillaume#page/n67/mode/1up |isbn=9780196360331}}</ref><ref name="armstrong">{{cite book |page=[https://archive.org/details/islamshorthistor00arms_354/page/n50 11] |title=Islam: A Short History |url=https://archive.org/details/islamshorthistor00arms_354 |url-access=limited |author=Karen Armstrong |isbn=0-8129-6618-X |date=2002}}</ref>


===Umayyad era===
===Umayyad era===
The first major renovation to the mosque took place in 692 on the orders of [[Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Guidetti|first=Mattia|title=In the Shadow of the Church: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria|date=2016|publisher=[[Brill Publishers|BRILL]]|isbn=9789004328839|page=113|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3n5yDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA113|access-date=17 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> 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]] on the orders of [[Al-Walid I]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Petersen|first1=Andrew|title=Dictionary of Islamic Architecture|date=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134613656|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9A-EAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA180|access-date=17 September 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Ali|first1=Wijdan|title=The Arab Contribution to Islamic Art: From the Seventh to the Fifteenth Centuries|date=1999|publisher=American Univ in Cairo Press|isbn=9789774244766|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rpUuqLPPKK4C|access-date=17 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> 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.{{Citation needed|date= August 2010}}
The first major renovation to the mosque took place in 692, on the orders of [[Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Guidetti |first=Mattia |title=In the Shadow of the Church: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria |date=2016 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers|BRILL]] |isbn=9789004328839 |page=113 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3n5yDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA113 |access-date=17 September 2017 |language=en |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120051251/https://books.google.com/books?id=3n5yDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA113 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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]] on the orders of [[Al-Walid I]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Petersen |first1=Andrew |title=Dictionary of Islamic Architecture |date=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781134613656 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9A-EAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA180 |access-date=17 September 2017 |language=en |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120051315/https://books.google.com/books?id=9A-EAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA180 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ali |first1=Wijdan |author-link=Wijdan Ali |title=The Arab Contribution to Islamic Art: From the Seventh to the Fifteenth Centuries |date=1999 |publisher=American Univ in Cairo Press |isbn=9789774244766 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rpUuqLPPKK4C |access-date=17 September 2017 |language=en |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120051252/https://books.google.com/books?id=rpUuqLPPKK4C |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.{{Citation needed|date= August 2010}}


===Ottoman era===
===Ottoman era===
In 1570, [[Ottoman Sultan|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 [[Islamic calligraphy|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.
In 1570, [[Ottoman Sultan|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 [[Islamic calligraphy|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 heavy rains and flash floods in 1621 and 1629, the walls of the Kaaba and the mosque suffered extensive damage.<ref name="Wynbrandt2010p101">{{cite book|author=James Wynbrandt|title=A Brief History of Saudi Arabia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eZkIXdsZpPsC&pg=PA101|access-date=12 June 2013|year=2010|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-0-8160-7876-9|page=101}}</ref> In 1629, during the reign of Sultan [[Murad 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.
During heavy rains and flash floods in 1621 and 1629, the walls of the Kaaba and the mosque suffered extensive damage.<ref name="Wynbrandt2010p101">{{cite book |author=James Wynbrandt |title=A Brief History of Saudi Arabia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eZkIXdsZpPsC&pg=PA101 |access-date=12 June 2013 |year=2010 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7876-9 |page=101 |archive-date=3 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103080820/http://books.google.com/books?id=eZkIXdsZpPsC&pg=PA101 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1629, during the reign of Sultan [[Murad 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.


{{Multiple image
{{Multiple image
| align = center
| align = center
| image1 = Mecca-1850.jpg
| image1 = Kaba 1750.jpg
| caption1 = The Great Mosque in 1850, during the Ottoman period
| caption1 = The Great Mosque in an illustration of the [[Dala'il al-Khayrat]] of Mustafa Halim, 1750
| image2 = Khalili Collection Hajj and Arts of Pilgrimage mss 1038 fol 19b-20a CROP.jpg
| image2 = Makkah-1910.jpg
| caption2 = The Great Mosque in 1910, during the Ottoman period
| caption2 = The Great Mosque in an illustration of the ''Futuh al-Haramayn'' of [[Muhi Al-Din Lari]], 1582
| image3 = Mecca-1850.jpg
| caption3 = The mosque in 1850, during the Ottoman period
|image4= 1018 of '(The Gallery of Geography, a pictorial and descriptive tour of the world.)' (11284997903).jpg
|caption4= Plan of the Masjid al-Haram, 1884
| image5 = Makkah-1910.jpg
| caption5 = The mosque in 1910, during the Ottoman period
| direction =
| direction =
| total_width = 400
| total_width =1000
| alt1 =
| alt1 =
}}
}}


===Saudi era===
===The Saudi era===
[[File:Crowds in haram makkah.jpg|thumb|Huge uncontrolled crowds in Haram have caused stampedes causing suffocation and deaths.]]
====First Saudi expansion====
====First Saudi expansion====
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 (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, were [[Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia|demolished]].
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 (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, were [[Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia|demolished]].


On 20 November 1979, the Great Mosque was [[Grand Mosque seizure|seized 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.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
On 20 November 1979, the Great Mosque was [[Grand Mosque seizure|seized 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.


====Second Saudi expansion====
====Second Saudi expansion====
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 reached through the King Fahd Gate. This extension was performed between 1982 and 1988.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gates of Masjid al-Haram|url=http://madainproject.com/gates_of_masjid_al_haram|website=Madain Project|access-date=17 March 2018}}</ref>
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 reached through the King Fahd Gate. This extension was performed between 1982 and 1988.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gates of Masjid al-Haram |url=http://madainproject.com/gates_of_masjid_al_haram |website=Madain Project |access-date=17 March 2018 |archive-date=18 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318054614/http://madainproject.com/gates_of_masjid_al_haram |url-status=live }}</ref>


1988 to 2005 saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a [[King of Saudi Arabia|King's]] residence overlooking the mosque and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments took place simultaneously with those in [[Mount Arafat|Arafat]], [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]] and [[Muzdalifah]]. 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|date=February 2019}}
1987 to 2005 saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a [[King of Saudi Arabia|King's]] residence overlooking the mosque and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments took place simultaneously with those in [[Mount Arafat|Arafat]], [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]] and [[Muzdalifah]]. 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|date=February 2019}}

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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://twitter.com/ReasahAlharmain/status/1702364005891797062 |title=Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques. (2023, August 3). 6 dedicated prayer halls for people with disabilities in the King Fahd expansion of the Grand Mosque. Tweet. }}</ref>


====Third Saudi expansion====
====Third Saudi expansion====
In 2008, the Saudi government under [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz]] announced an expansion<ref name="madainabdullahexp">{{cite web |title=King 'Abdullah Extension of Masjid al-Haram |url=https://madainproject.com/king_abdullah_expansion |website=Madain Project |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920043613/https://madainproject.com/king_abdullah_expansion |archive-date=20 September 2020}}</ref> of the mosque, involving the [[expropriation]] of land to the north and northwest of the mosque covering {{convert|300,000|m2}}. At that time, the mosque covered an area of {{convert|356,800|m2}} including indoor and outdoor praying spaces. 40&nbsp;billion riyals (US$10.6&nbsp;billion) was allocated for the expansion project.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/436921.html|title=Riyadh Expands Masjid al-Haram|date=6 January 2008|work=OnIslam.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228064216/http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/436921.html|archive-date=28 December 2013}}</ref>
In 2008, the Saudi government under [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz]] announced an expansion<ref name="madainabdullahexp">{{cite web |title=King 'Abdullah Extension of Masjid al-Haram |url=https://madainproject.com/king_abdullah_expansion |website=Madain Project |access-date=20 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920043613/https://madainproject.com/king_abdullah_expansion |archive-date=20 September 2020}}</ref> of the mosque, involving the [[expropriation]] of land to the north and northwest of the mosque covering {{cvt|300,000|m2}}. At that time, the mosque covered an area of {{cvt|356,800|m2}} including indoor and outdoor praying spaces. 40&nbsp;billion riyals (US$10.6&nbsp;billion) was allocated for the expansion project.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/436921.html |title=Riyadh Expands Masjid al-Haram |date=6 January 2008 |work=OnIslam.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228064216/http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/436921.html |archive-date=28 December 2013}}</ref>


In August 2011, the government under [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah]] announced further details of the expansion. It would cover an area of {{convert|400000|m2|ft2|abbr=on}} and accommodate 1.2&nbsp;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&nbsp;million worshippers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/453578-historic-masjid-al-haram-extension-launched.html|title=Historic Masjid Al-Haram Extension Launched|date=20 August 2011|newspaper=onislam|access-date=17 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512045113/http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/453578-historic-masjid-al-haram-extension-launched.html|archive-date=12 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="GME">{{cite web|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE77J0W520110820?sp=true|title=Saudi Arabia starts Mecca mosque expansion|work=reuters.com}}</ref> [[List of kings of Saudi Arabia|His successor]], [[Salman of Saudi Arabia|King Salman]] launched five megaprojects as part of the overall King Abdullah Expansion Project in July 2015, covering an area of {{convert|456,000|m2}}. The project was carried out by the [[Saudi Binladin Group]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/129324/King-launches-key-Grand-Mosque-expansion-projects|title=King launches key Grand Mosque expansion projects|date=12 July 2015|work=Saudi Gazette|access-date=9 February 2019}}</ref>
In August 2011, the government under [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia|King Abdullah]] announced further details of the expansion. It would cover an area of {{cvt|400000|m2|ft2}} and accommodate 1.2&nbsp;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&nbsp;million worshippers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/453578-historic-masjid-al-haram-extension-launched.html |title=Historic Masjid Al-Haram Extension Launched |date=20 August 2011 |newspaper=onislam |access-date=17 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512045113/http://www.onislam.net/english/news/global/453578-historic-masjid-al-haram-extension-launched.html |archive-date=12 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="GME">{{cite news |url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE77J0W520110820?sp=true |title=Saudi Arabia starts Mecca mosque expansion |work=reuters.com |date=20 August 2011 |access-date=26 June 2012 |archive-date=20 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620021934/http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE77J0W520110820?sp=true |url-status=live }}</ref> [[List of kings of Saudi Arabia|His successor]], [[Salman of Saudi Arabia|King Salman]] launched five megaprojects as part of the overall King Abdullah Expansion Project in July 2015, covering an area of {{cvt|456,000|m2}}. The project was carried out by the [[Saudi Binladin Group]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/129324/King-launches-key-Grand-Mosque-expansion-projects |title=King launches key Grand Mosque expansion projects |date=12 July 2015 |work=Saudi Gazette |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209180554/http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/129324/King-launches-key-Grand-Mosque-expansion-projects |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012, the [[Abraj Al Bait]] complex was completed along with the 601 meter tall Makkah Royal Clock Tower.


On 11 September 2015, at least 111 people died and 394 were injured [[Mecca crane collapse|when a crane collapsed onto the mosque]].<ref name="Alarabiya">{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/14/Makkah-crane-crash-report-submitted-to-King-Salman.html |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Makkah crane crash report submitted |work=[[Al Arabiya]] | access-date=15 September 2015 | date=14 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=arabianbusiness>{{cite web|title = King Salman to make findings of Makkah crane collapse probe public|url = http://www.arabianbusiness.com/king-salman-make-findings-of-makkah-crane-collapse-probe-public-606166.html|access-date = 2015-09-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/en/content/number-of-casualties-of-turkish-haji-candidates-at-the-kaaba-accident-reach-8%E2%80%A6/29131 |title=Number of casualties of Turkish Haji candidates at the Kaaba accident reach 8… |date=13 September 2015 |publisher=[[Presidency of Religious Affairs]] |access-date=15 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926041627/http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/en/content/number-of-casualties-of-turkish-haji-candidates-at-the-kaaba-accident-reach-8%E2%80%A6/29131 |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Six Nigerians among victims of Saudi crane accident: official|url=https://news.yahoo.com/six-nigerians-among-victims-saudi-crane-accident-official-212950610.html |work=[[Yahoo! News]]|agency=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]]|access-date=16 September 2015|date=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Two Brits dead and three injured in Mecca Grand Mosque crane tragedy that killed 107 people l|first1=Ruth|last1=Halkon|first2=Sam|last2=Webb|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/two-brits-dead-three-injured-6436848|work=[[Daily Mirror|Mirror Online]]|access-date=16 September 2015|date=13 September 2015}}</ref> Construction work was suspended after the incident, and remained on hold due to financial issues during the [[2010s oil glut]]. Development was eventually restarted two years later in September 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-construction-idUSL8N1L32DS|title=Saudi Arabia to restart work on $26.6 bln Grand Mosque expansion|date=2017-08-17|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-02-14|language=en}}</ref>
On 11 September 2015, at least 111 people died and 394 were injured [[Mecca crane collapse|when a crane collapsed onto the mosque]].<ref name="Alarabiya">{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/14/Makkah-crane-crash-report-submitted-to-King-Salman.html |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Makkah crane crash report submitted |work=[[Al Arabiya]] |access-date=15 September 2015 |date=14 September 2015 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226082034/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/09/14/Makkah-crane-crash-report-submitted-to-King-Salman.html%20 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=arabianbusiness>{{cite news |title=King Salman to make findings of Makkah crane collapse probe public |newspaper=Arabian Business |date=14 September 2015 |url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/king-salman-make-findings-of-makkah-crane-collapse-probe-public-606166.html |access-date=2015-09-14 |archive-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818052219/https://www.arabianbusiness.com/king-salman-make-findings-of-makkah-crane-collapse-probe-public-606166.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/en/content/number-of-casualties-of-turkish-haji-candidates-at-the-kaaba-accident-reach-8%E2%80%A6/29131 |title=Number of casualties of Turkish Haji candidates at the Kaaba accident reach 8… |date=13 September 2015 |publisher=[[Presidency of Religious Affairs]] |access-date=15 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926041627/http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/en/content/number-of-casualties-of-turkish-haji-candidates-at-the-kaaba-accident-reach-8%E2%80%A6/29131 |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Six Nigerians among victims of Saudi crane accident: official |url=https://news.yahoo.com/six-nigerians-among-victims-saudi-crane-accident-official-212950610.html |work=[[Yahoo! News]] |agency=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]] |access-date=16 September 2015 |date=16 September 2015 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226082050/https://news.yahoo.com/six-nigerians-among-victims-saudi-crane-accident-official-212950610.html%20 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Two Brits dead and three injured in Mecca Grand Mosque crane tragedy that killed 107 people l |first1=Ruth |last1=Halkon |first2=Sam |last2=Webb |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/two-brits-dead-three-injured-6436848 |work=[[Daily Mirror|Mirror Online]] |access-date=16 September 2015 |date=13 September 2015 |archive-date=16 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916002621/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/two-brits-dead-three-injured-6436848 |url-status=live }}</ref> Construction work was suspended after the incident, and remained on hold due to financial issues during the [[2010s oil glut]]. Development was eventually restarted two years later in September 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-construction-idUSL8N1L32DS |title=Saudi Arabia to restart work on $26.6 bln Grand Mosque expansion |date=2017-08-17 |work=Reuters |access-date=2019-02-14 |language=en |archive-date=15 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215050929/https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-construction-idUSL8N1L32DS |url-status=live }}</ref>


====COVID-19 Pandemic====
On 5 March 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the mosque began to be closed at night and the Umrah pilgrimage was suspended to limit attendance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-saudi-arabia-mosques-mecca-medina|title=Saudi Arabia announces extraordinary measures to protect Mecca and Medina from coronavirus|website=Middle East Eye|language=en|access-date=2020-03-08}}</ref> 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 per cent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=COVID-19: 60,000 worshipers allowed to pray at Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia, from Sunday|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/covid-19-60000-worshipers-allowed-to-pray-at-grand-mosque-saudi-arabia-from-sunday-1.74914041|access-date=2020-10-30|website=gulfnews.com|language=en}}</ref>
On 5 March 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the mosque began to be closed at night and the Umrah pilgrimage was suspended to limit attendance.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-saudi-arabia-mosques-mecca-medina |title=Saudi Arabia announces extraordinary measures to protect Mecca and Medina from coronavirus |website=Middle East Eye |language=en |access-date=2020-03-08 |archive-date=8 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308230922/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-saudi-arabia-mosques-mecca-medina |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COVID-19: 60,000 worshipers allowed to pray at Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia, from Sunday |url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/covid-19-60000-worshipers-allowed-to-pray-at-grand-mosque-saudi-arabia-from-sunday-1.74914041 |access-date=2020-10-30 |website=gulfnews.com |date=29 October 2020 |language=en |archive-date=30 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030193130/https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/covid-19-60000-worshipers-allowed-to-pray-at-grand-mosque-saudi-arabia-from-sunday-1.74914041 |url-status=live }}</ref> Only 10,000 people were given Hajj visas in 2020 while 60,000 people were given visas in 2021.


{{multiple image
{{multiple image
| direction =
| direction =
| image1 = Mataaf expansion 2014 2.jpg
| image1 =
| image2 =
| image2 = King Abdul Aziz Gate - Under Construction.jpg
| align = center
| align = center
| caption1 = Ongoing construction in the ''mataaf'' and the temporary structure for ''tawaf'' surrounding the Kaabah in August 2014
| caption1 = Ongoing construction in the ''mataaf'' and the temporary structure for ''tawaf'' surrounding the Kaabah in August 2014 | caption2 = King Abdul Aziz Gate, one of the entrances of the Great Mosque, under construction as of January 2018
| caption2 = King Abdul Aziz Gate, one of the entrances of the Great Mosque, under construction as of January 2018
| total_width = 800
| total_width = 800
| image3 = Entrance Mecca mosque.JPG
| image3 =
| caption3 = King Abdul Aziz Gate as it stood after second Saudi expansion as of February 2019
| caption3 = Ottoman domes rebuilt in King Abdullah expansion
| alt1 =
| alt1 = }}
}}


==List of former Imams and Mu'adhins==
==List of current and former Imams==

Imams:<ref name="formerimams">{{cite web |url=http://www.saaid.net/Doat/gamdi/25.htm |title=Names of Former Imams 1345–1435 Ah |access-date=3 May 2018}}</ref>
===Current Imams===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais|Abd ar-Rahman as-Sudais]], appointed Imam and Khateeb in 1984.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://thepilgrim.co/imams-of-masjid-al-haram/ | title=List of 10 Imams of Masjid al Haram &#124; Who is the Current Imam? &#124; | date=28 April 2022 }}</ref> (Chief Imam and President of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques)
* Abdullah Al-Khulaifi ({{lang-ar|عَبْد ٱلله ٱلْخُلَيْفِي}}), appointed Imam and Khateeb from 1953 till his death in 1993.
* [[Salih bin Abdullah al Humaid]], appointed Imam and Khateeb in 1984. Former Chairman of Majlis Ash-Shura ([[Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia]])
* [[Ahmad Khatib]] ({{lang-ar|أَحْمَد خَطِيْب}}), Islamic Scholar from [[Indonesia]]
* Usama Abdul Aziz Al-Khayyat, appointed Imam and Khateeb in 1998.
* Ali bin Abdullah Jaber ({{lang-ar|عَلِى بِن عَبْدُ ٱلله جَابِر}}), Imam from 1981 to 1983, guest Imam for Ramadhan 1986-1989
* [[Maher Al-Mu'aiqly|Mahir Al-Muayqali]], appointed Imam in 2007, and Khateeb in 2016.
* Umar Al-Subayyil ({{lang-ar|عُمَر ٱلسُّبَيِّل}}), Imam and Khateeb from 1993 until 2002, died in 2002
* [[Abdullah Awad Al Juhany]], appointed Imam in 2007 and Khateeb in 2019.
* Muhammad Al-Subayyil ({{lang-ar|مُحَمَّد ٱلسُّبَيِّل}}), died in 2013
* Faisal Jameel Ghazzawi, appointed Imam and Khateeb in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-17 |title=Sheikh Dr. Faisal Jameel Ghazzawi, Makkah Grand Mosque imam |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1498501/saudi-arabia |access-date=2021-08-28 |website=Arab News |language=en |archive-date=28 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828021815/https://www.arabnews.com/node/1498501/saudi-arabia |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Abdullah Al-Harazi ({{lang-ar|عَبْد ٱلله الْحَرَازِي}}), former Chairman of Saudi Majlis al-Shura
* Bandar Baleelah, appointed Imam in 2013, and Khateeb in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-19 |title=Who's Who: Sheikh Bandar Baleelah, imam at the Grand Mosque in Makkah |url=https://arab.news/gggxy |access-date=2021-08-28 |website=Arab News |language=en |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120051420/https://www.arabnews.com/node/1897011/saudi-arabia |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Ali Bin Abdur Rahman Al Huthaify|Ali bin Abdur-Rahman Al-Huthaify]] ({{lang-ar|عَلِي بِن عَبْدُ ٱلرَّحۡمٰن ٱلْحُذَيْفِي}}), guest Imam for Ramadhan 1981, 1985–1986, 1988–1991, now Chief Imam of [[The Prophet's Mosque]],
* [[Yasser Al-Dosari]], appointed Imam in 2015 and Khateeb in 2022.
* Salah ibn Muhammad Al-Budair ({{lang-ar|صَلَاح ابْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْبُدَيْر}}), led Taraweeh in Ramadan 1426 (2005) and 1427 (2006), now Deputy Chief Imam of [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|the Prophet's Mosque]]
* [[Adil al-Kalbani]]<ref name="NYTimes2009Mecca">{{cite news |last=WORTH |first=ROBERT F. |date=April 10, 2009 |title=A Black Imam Breaks Ground in Mecca |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/middleeast/11saudi.html |newspaper=The [[New York Times]] |location=[[Riyadh]] }}</ref> ({{lang-ar|عَادِل ٱلْكَلْبَانِي}})
* Salih al Talib <small>(suspended)</small>
* Khalid al Ghamdi <small>(suspended)</small>
{{div col end}}


===Former Imams===
[[Muezzin|Mu'adhins]]:
[[Imams]]:<ref name="formerimams">{{cite web |url=http://www.saaid.net/Doat/gamdi/25.htm |title=Names of Former Imams 1345–1435 Ah |access-date=3 May 2018 |archive-date=18 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518123059/http://www.saaid.net/Doat/gamdi/25.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Ahmad Khatib]] ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|أَحْمَد خَطِيْب}}}}), Islamic Scholar from [[Indonesia]], appointed as Imam during Ottoman rule.
* [[Al-Buzzi]], died in 864 CE<ref name="PG2013">{{cite web |publisher=Propheticguidance.co.uk |title=Imām ibn Kathīr al-Makkī |url=http://propheticguidance.co.uk/imam-ibn-kathir-al-makki/ |date=June 16, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref>
* Abdullah Abdul Ghani Khayat ({{lang-ar|عبد الله عبد الغني خياط}}), appointed Imam and Khateeb from 1953 to 1984.
* Sheikh Abdul Malik Mulla
* Abdullah Al-Khulaifi ({{lang-ar|عَبْد ٱلله ٱلْخُلَيْفِي}}), appointed Imam and Khateeb from 1953 until death in 1993.
* Sheikh Abdullah Asad Al-Rayes
* [[Ibn Humaid|Abdullah Ibn Humaid]], served as Imam from 1957 until 1981. He also served as President of Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and as Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia.
* Sheikh Idris Kanu
* [[Mohammad Al Subail|Mohammad Al-Subayyil]] ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|مُحَمَّد ٱلسُّبَيِّل}}}}), served as Imam and Khateeb from 1965 to 2008. He was Chief Imam and President of the Agency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques until 2008.
* Sheikh Muhammad Khalil Ramal
* Ali bin Abdullah Jaber ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|عَلِى بِن عَبْدُ ٱلله جَابِر}}}}), Imam from 1981 to 1983, guest Imam for Ramadhan 1986–1989.
* Sheikh Saleh Fayda
* [[Ali Bin Abdur Rahman Al Huthaify|Ali bin Abdur-Rahman Al-Huthaify]] ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|عَلِي بِن عَبْدُ ٱلرَّحۡمٰن ٱلْحُذَيْفِي}}}}), guest Imam for Ramadhan 1981, 1985–1986, 1988–1991, now Chief Imam of [[The Prophet's Mosque]].
* Sheikh Ibrahim Abbas
* Umar Al-Subayyil ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|عُمَر ٱلسُّبَيِّل}}}}), Imam and Khateeb from 1993 until death in 2002.
* Sheikh Abdullah Sabaak
* Abdullah Al-Harazi ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|عَبْد ٱلله الْحَرَازِي}}}}), former Chairman of Saudi Majlis al-Shura.
* Sheikh Abdullah Basnawi
* Salah ibn Muhammad Al-Budair ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|صَلَاح ابْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْبُدَيْر}}}}), led Taraweeh in Ramadan 1426 (2005) and 1427 (2006), now Deputy Chief Imam of [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|The Prophet's Mosque]].
* Sheikh Hassan Rashad Zabeedi
* [[Adil al-Kalbani]]<ref name="NYTimes2009Mecca">{{cite news |last=WORTH |first=ROBERT F. |date=April 10, 2009 |title=A Black Imam Breaks Ground in Mecca |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/middleeast/11saudi.html |newspaper=The [[New York Times]] |location=[[Riyadh]] |access-date=24 February 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202045725/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/middleeast/11saudi.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ({{lang-ar|{{Script|Arab|عَادِل ٱلْكَلْبَانِي}}}}), served as Imam for Taraweeh prayers in 2008.
* [[Saleh Al-Talib]], appointed Imam and Khateeb in 2002 and served until July 2018.
* Khalid al Ghamdi, retired as Imam and Khateeb of Masjid Al Haram in September 2018, 10 years after appointment.
* [[Saud Al-Shuraim]], appointed Imam and Khateeb in 1992 and resigned in 2022.
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}

==Current Imams==
{{Unreferenced section|date= March 2020}}
* [[Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais]], appointed as Imam and Khateeb in 1404(1984).
* [[Saud Al-Shuraim]], appointed as Imam and Khateeb in 1412(1992).
* [[Salih bin Abdullah al Humaid]], appointed as Imam and Khateeb in 1404(1984).
* Usama Abdul Aziz Al-Khayyat, appointed as Imam and Khateeb in 1418(1998).
* [[Abdullah Awad Al Juhany]], appointed as Imam in 1428 (2007) and Khateeb in 1441(2019).
* Mahir Al-Muayqali, appointed as Imam in 1428 (2007), and Khateeb in 1437(2016).
* [[Yasser Al-Dosary]], appointed as Imam in 1441.
* [[Bandar Baleelah]], appointed as Imam in 1434(2013), and Khateeb in 1441 (2019).
* [[Faysal Jamil Al-Ghazzawi]], appointed as Imam and Khateeb in 1429 (2008).


==Pilgrimage==
==Pilgrimage==
{{main|Hajj|Umrah}}
{{main|Hajj|Umrah}}


The Great Mosque is the main setting for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages<ref>{{cite book |title=Hajj to Umrah: From A to Z |last=Mohammed |first=Mamdouh N. |year=1996 |publisher=Mamdouh Mohammed |isbn=0-915957-54-X |url=https://archive.org/details/hajjumrahfromtoz00moha }}</ref> 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, over 5&nbsp;million Muslims perform the Hajj every year.<ref>''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'' {{cite web |title=General statistics of the Umrah season of 1436 A.H. |publisher=The Ministry of Hajj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |url=http://haj.gov.sa/en-us/Pages/default.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813004502/http://www.haj.gov.sa/en-us/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=13 August 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
The Great Mosque is the main setting for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages<ref>{{cite book |title=Hajj to Umrah: From A to Z |last=Mohammed |first=Mamdouh N. |year=1996 |publisher=Mamdouh Mohammed |isbn=0-915957-54-X |url=https://archive.org/details/hajjumrahfromtoz00moha}}</ref> that occur in the month of [[Dhu al-Hijja]] 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, over 5&nbsp;million Muslims perform the Hajj every year.<ref>''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'' {{cite web |title=General statistics of the Umrah season of 1436 A.H. |publisher=The Ministry of Hajj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |url=http://haj.gov.sa/en-us/Pages/default.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813004502/http://www.haj.gov.sa/en-us/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=13 August 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>


==Structures==
==Structures==
* The ''[[Ka'bah]]'' is a [[cuboid]]-shaped building in the center of the Great Mosque and one of the [[List of significant religious sites#Islam|most sacred sites]] in Islam.<ref name="eoi317">Wensinck, A. J; Ka`ba. [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]] IV p. 317</ref> It is the focal point for Islamic rituals like prayer and pilgrimage.<ref name="eoi317"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7769689.stm|title=In pictures: Hajj pilgrimage|date=7 December 2008|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=8 December 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/as_hajj_begins_more_changes_and_challenges_in_store/|publisher=altmuslim|title=As Hajj begins, more changes and challenges in store|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111215050/http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/as_hajj_begins_more_changes_and_challenges_in_store|archive-date=11 January 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* The ''[[Ka'aba]]'' is a [[cuboid]]-shaped building in the center of the Great Mosque and the [[List of significant religious sites#Islam|most sacred site]] in Islam.<ref name="eoi317">Wensinck, A. J; Ka`ba. [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]] IV p. 317</ref> It is the focal point for Islamic rituals like prayer and pilgrimage.<ref name="eoi317"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7769689.stm |title=In pictures: Hajj pilgrimage |date=7 December 2008 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=8 December 2008 |archive-date=20 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120143537/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7769689.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/as_hajj_begins_more_changes_and_challenges_in_store/ |publisher=altmuslim |title=As Hajj begins, more changes and challenges in store |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111215050/http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/as_hajj_begins_more_changes_and_challenges_in_store |archive-date=11 January 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
* The [[Black Stone]] is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba and plays a role in the pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar): Biography of the Prophet|author=Shaykh Safi-Ar-Rahman Al-Mubarkpuri|isbn=1-59144-071-8|year=2002|publisher=Dar-As-Salam Publications}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Hajj to Umrah: From A to Z|last=Mohamed|first=Mamdouh N.|year=1996|publisher=Amana Publications|isbn=0-915957-54-X|url=https://archive.org/details/hajjumrahfromtoz00moha}}</ref>
* The [[Black Stone]] is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba and plays a role in the pilgrimage.<ref>{{cite book |title=Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum (The Sealed Nectar): Biography of the Prophet |author=Shaykh Safi-Ar-Rahman Al-Mubarkpuri |isbn=1-59144-071-8 |year=2002 |publisher=Dar-As-Salam Publications}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Hajj to Umrah: From A to Z |last=Mohamed |first=Mamdouh N. |year=1996 |publisher=Amana Publications |isbn=0-915957-54-X |url=https://archive.org/details/hajjumrahfromtoz00moha}}</ref>
* The [[Station of Abraham]] is a rock that reportedly has an imprint of Abraham's foot and is kept in a crystal dome next to the Kaaba.<ref name="KisterEI">M.J. Kister, "Maḳām Ibrāhīm," p.105, ''The Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (new ed.), vol. VI (Mahk-Mid), eds. Bosworth et al., Brill: 1991, pp. 104-107.</ref>
* [[Maqam Ibrahim]] is a rock that reportedly has an imprint of Abraham's foot and is kept in a crystal dome next to the Kaaba.<ref name="KisterEI">M.J. Kister, "Maḳām Ibrāhīm," p.105, ''The Encyclopaedia of Islam'' (new ed.), vol. VI (Mahk-Mid), eds. Bosworth et al., Brill: 1991, pp. 104–107.</ref>
* [[Safa and Marwah]] are two hills between which Abraham's wife [[Hagar]] ran, looking for water for her infant son [[Ishmael]], an event which is commemorated in the {{transl|ar|saʿy}} ritual of the pilgrimage.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}
* [[Safa and Marwa]] are two hills between which Abraham's wife [Haajar] ran, looking for water for her infant son [[Ishmael|Ismael]], an event which is commemorated in the {{transl|ar|saʿy}} ritual of the pilgrimage. [Sa'aee]{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}
* The [[Zamzam Well]] is the water source which, according to tradition, sprang miraculously after Hagar was unable to find water between Safa and Marwah.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
* The [[Zamzam Well]] is the water source which, according to tradition, sprang miraculously after Haajar was unable to find water between Safa and Marwah.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
* Nearby is [[Makkah Al Mukarramah Library]] ({{coord|21|25|30|N|39|49|48|E|type:landmark_scale:5000_region:SA|name=Bayt al-Mawlid / Makkah Al Mukarramah Library}}). Since it is believed to stand on the spot where Muhammad was born, it is also known as ''[[Bayt al-Mawlid]]''.<ref name="H&UP">{{cite web |website=Hajj & Umrah Planner |title=Bayt al-Mawlid |date=6 April 2017 |location=[[Mecca|Makkah]] |url=https://hajjumrahplanner.com/bayt-al-mawlid/ |access-date=2022-07-18}}</ref><ref name="Dar al-Hadith 04-2012">{{cite web |last=Ibrahim |first=Abdul-Wahhab Abu Sulaiman |title=Establishing The Location of the Bayt al-Mawlid |publisher=Dar al-Hadith |url=https://www.daralhadith.org.uk/establishing-the-location-of-the-bayt-al-mawlid/ |date=2012-04-07 |access-date=2022-07-18}}</ref>


<gallery mode="packed">
<gallery mode="packed">
File:The Kabah in the Grand Mosque of Makkah, Saudi Arabia (52501405646).jpg|The Kaaba
File:The Blackstone.jpg|The Black Stone
File:The Blackstone.jpg|The Black Stone
File:Maqam Ibrahim, Makkah.jpg|Maqam Ibrahim's crystal dome
File:Maqam Ibrahim, Makkah.jpg|Maqam Ibrahim's crystal dome
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{{Main|Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Main|Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia}}


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:<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mecca-for-the-rich-islams-holiest-site-turning-into-vegas-2360114.html |work=The Independent |first=Jerome |last=Taylor |date=24 September 2011 |title=Mecca for the Rich: Islam's holiest site turning into Vegas}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.islamicpluralism.org/467/dr-sami-angawi-on-wahhabi-desecration-of-makkah
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:<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mecca-for-the-rich-islams-holiest-site-turning-into-vegas-2360114.html |work=The Independent |first=Jerome |last=Taylor |date=24 September 2011 |title=Mecca for the Rich: Islam's holiest site turning into Vegas |access-date=5 December 2017 |archive-date=16 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616174556/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mecca-for-the-rich-islams-holiest-site-turning-into-vegas-2360114.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.islamicpluralism.org/467/dr-sami-angawi-on-wahhabi-desecration-of-makkah |title=Dr.Sami Angawi on Wahhabi Desecration of Makkah |access-date=28 November 2010 |last=Abou-Ragheb |first=Laith |date=12 July 2005 |publisher=Center for Islamic Pluralism |archive-date=22 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722073326/http://www.islamicpluralism.org/467/dr-sami-angawi-on-wahhabi-desecration-of-makkah |url-status=live }}</ref>
|title=Dr.Sami Angawi on Wahhabi Desecration of Makkah |access-date=28 November 2010 |last=Abou-Ragheb |first=Laith |date=12 July 2005|publisher=Center for Islamic Pluralism}}</ref>
* {{transl|ar|Bayt Al-Mawlīd}}, the house where Muhammad was born, was demolished and rebuilt as a library.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* {{transl|ar|Dār Al-Arqam}}, the Islamic school where Muhammad first taught, was flattened to lay marble tiles.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* {{transl|ar|Dār Al-Arqam}}, the Islamic school where Muhammad first taught, was flattened to lay marble tiles.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* The house of [[Amr ibn Hishām|Abu Jahal]] has been demolished and replaced by public washrooms.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* The house of [[Amr ibn Hishām|Abu Jahal]] has been demolished and replaced by public washrooms.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* A dome that served as a canopy over the [[Well of Zamzam]] was demolished.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* A dome that served as a canopy over the [[Well of Zamzam]] was demolished.{{Citation needed|reason=Source that it happened, not only that it's under threat|date=February 2019}}
* Some [[Uthman|Uthmani]] [[Portico]]s at the Mosque were demolished<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-19|title=Ottoman Portico Demonstrates Kurşun's Lack of Knowledge of Historical Sources|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/in-translation/2020/07/19/Arabs-and-Turkey-Anti-Ottomanism-and-Stockholm-syndrome|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Al Arabiya English|language=en}}</ref>.
* Some [[Ottoman architecture|Ottoman]] [[portico|porticos]] at the Mosque were demolished.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-19 |title=Ottoman Portico Demonstrates Kurşun's Lack of Knowledge of Historical Sources |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/in-translation/2020/07/19/Arabs-and-Turkey-Anti-Ottomanism-and-Stockholm-syndrome |access-date=2021-03-08 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424235103/https://english.alarabiya.net/in-translation/2020/07/19/Arabs-and-Turkey-Anti-Ottomanism-and-Stockholm-syndrome |url-status=live }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Islam|Saudi Arabia}}
{{Portal|Islam|Saudi Arabia}}
*[[Al-Aqsa Mosque]]
*[[Al-Aqsa]]
*[[Holiest sites in Islam]]
*[[Holiest sites in Islam]]
*''[[Ḥ-R-M]]''
*''[[Ḥ-R-M]]''
**[[Haram (site)]]
**[[Haram (site)]]
*[[List of famous mosques]]
*[[List of mosques]]
* [[List of mosques in Saudi Arabia]]
* [[List of mosques in Saudi Arabia]]
*[[List of the oldest mosques]]
*[[List of the oldest mosques]]
* [[Lists of mosques]]
* [[Lists of mosques]]
* [[Masar Destination]]

== Further reading ==
; Online
* [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Mosque-of-Mecca Great Mosque of Mecca: mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia], in ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Surabhi Sinha, Noah Tesch, Amy Tikkanen, Grace Young and Adam Zeidan


==References==
==References==
Line 181: Line 185:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Great Mosque of Mecca}}
{{Commons category|Masjid al-Haram}}
*[http://gph.gov.sa/ Official website]
*[http://gph.gov.sa/ Official website]
*[https://makkahlive.org/almakki.aspx Watch Live]

{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{Mosques in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Mosques in Saudi Arabia}}
Line 191: Line 195:


{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Mosque of Mecca}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Mosque of Mecca}}
[[Category:Great Mosque of Mecca| ]]
[[Category:Masjid al-Haram| ]]
[[Category:Islamic holy places]]
[[Category:Islamic holy places]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures converted into mosques]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures converted into mosques]]

Latest revision as of 21:54, 26 June 2024

The Sacred Mosque of Mecca
Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām (ٱَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَام)
Aerial view of the mosque with the Kaaba at the center
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Branch/traditionMuslims
LeadershipAbd ar-Raḥman as-Sudais (as President of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and Chief Imam)
Ali Ahmed Mullah (Chief Mu'athin)
Location
LocationMecca, Hejaz (present-day  Saudi Arabia)[1]
Masjid al-Haram is located in Saudi Arabia
Masjid al-Haram
Location in Saudi Arabia
Masjid al-Haram is located in Middle East
Masjid al-Haram
Masjid al-Haram (Middle East)
AdministrationGeneral Presidency of Haramain
Geographic coordinates21°25′21″N 39°49′34″E / 21.42250°N 39.82611°E / 21.42250; 39.82611
Architecture
TypeMosque
Specifications
Capacity3.0 million[2]
Minaret(s)9
Minaret height139 m (456 ft)
Site area356,000 square metres (88 acres) [3]

Masjid al-Haram (Arabic: ٱَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَام, romanizedal-Masjid al-Ḥarām, lit.'The Sacred Mosque'),[4] also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca,[5] is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam.[6][7] It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with the Hajj, which every Muslim 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 include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa.[8]

As of 2024, the Great Mosque is both the largest mosque in the world, and the most expensive building in the world. It has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years.[9] It has passed through the control of various caliphs, sultans and kings, and is now under the control of the King of Saudi Arabia who is titled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.[10]

History[edit]

The Great Mosque contends with the Masjid As-Sahabah in the Eritrean city of Massawa[11] and Quba Mosque in Medina as the oldest mosque.[12] According to Islamic tradition, Islam as a religion precedes Muhammad,[13][14][15] representing previous prophets such as Abraham.[16] Abraham is credited by Muslims with having built the Kaaba in Mecca, 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 century CE,[21] and so did architectural components such as the mosque. In that case, either the Mosque of the Companions[22] or Quba Mosque would be the first mosque that was built in the history of Islam.[17]

Era of Abraham and Ismael[edit]

According to Islamic doctrine in the Quran, Abraham together with his son Ismael raised the foundations of a house,[23] which has been identified by commentators as the Kaaba. God showed Abraham the exact site which was previously built by Adam, very near to what is now the Well of Zamzam, where Abraham and Ishmael began work on the construction of the Kaaba.[citation needed] After Abraham had built the Kaaba, an angel brought to him the Black Stone, a celestial stone that, according to tradition, had fallen from Heaven on the nearby hill Abu Qubays.[citation needed] The Black Stone is believed by Islamic scholars to be the only remnant of the original structure made by Abraham.[citation needed]

After placing the Black Stone in the Eastern corner of the Kaaba, Abraham 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]

Era of Muhammad[edit]

Upon Muhammad's victorious return to Mecca in 630 CE, he 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]

Umayyad era[edit]

The first major renovation to the mosque took place in 692, on the orders of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.[30] 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 on the orders of Al-Walid I.[31][32] 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.[citation needed]

Ottoman era[edit]

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 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 Sultan Murad 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 the Dala'il al-Khayrat of Mustafa Halim, 1750
The Great Mosque in an illustration of the Futuh al-Haramayn of Muhi Al-Din Lari, 1582
The mosque in 1850, during the Ottoman period
Plan of the Masjid al-Haram, 1884
The mosque in 1910, during the Ottoman period

The Saudi era[edit]

Huge uncontrolled crowds in Haram have caused stampedes causing suffocation and deaths.

First Saudi expansion[edit]

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 (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, were demolished.

On 20 November 1979, the Great Mosque was seized 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.

Second Saudi expansion[edit]

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 reached through the King Fahd Gate. This extension was performed between 1982 and 1988.[34]

1987 to 2005 saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a King's residence overlooking the mosque and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments took place simultaneously with those in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah. 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]

Third Saudi expansion[edit]

In 2008, the Saudi government under King Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz announced an expansion[36] of the mosque, involving the expropriation 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 under King 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 the Saudi Binladin Group.[40] In 2012, the Abraj Al Bait complex was completed along with the 601 meter tall Makkah Royal Clock Tower.

On 11 September 2015, at least 111 people died and 394 were injured when 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 the 2010s oil glut. Development was eventually restarted two years later in September 2017.[46]

COVID-19 Pandemic[edit]

On 5 March 2020, during the COVID-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.

List of current and former Imams[edit]

Current Imams[edit]

Former Imams[edit]

Imams:[52]

  • Ahmad Khatib (Arabic: أَحْمَد خَطِيْب), Islamic Scholar from Indonesia, appointed as Imam during Ottoman rule.
  • Abdullah Abdul Ghani Khayat (Arabic: عبد الله عبد الغني خياط), appointed Imam and Khateeb from 1953 to 1984.
  • Abdullah Al-Khulaifi (Arabic: عَبْد ٱلله ٱلْخُلَيْفِي), appointed Imam and Khateeb from 1953 until death in 1993.
  • Abdullah Ibn Humaid, served as Imam from 1957 until 1981. He also served as President of Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and as Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia.
  • Mohammad Al-Subayyil (Arabic: مُحَمَّد ٱلسُّبَيِّل), served as Imam and Khateeb from 1965 to 2008. He was Chief Imam and President of the Agency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques until 2008.
  • Ali bin Abdullah Jaber (Arabic: عَلِى بِن عَبْدُ ٱلله جَابِر), Imam from 1981 to 1983, guest Imam for Ramadhan 1986–1989.
  • Ali bin Abdur-Rahman Al-Huthaify (Arabic: عَلِي بِن عَبْدُ ٱلرَّحۡمٰن ٱلْحُذَيْفِي), guest Imam for Ramadhan 1981, 1985–1986, 1988–1991, now Chief Imam of The Prophet's Mosque.
  • Umar Al-Subayyil (Arabic: عُمَر ٱلسُّبَيِّل), Imam and Khateeb from 1993 until death in 2002.
  • Abdullah Al-Harazi (Arabic: عَبْد ٱلله الْحَرَازِي), former Chairman of Saudi Majlis al-Shura.
  • Salah ibn Muhammad Al-Budair (Arabic: صَلَاح ابْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْبُدَيْر), led Taraweeh in Ramadan 1426 (2005) and 1427 (2006), now Deputy Chief Imam of The Prophet's Mosque.
  • Adil al-Kalbani[53] (Arabic: عَادِل ٱلْكَلْبَانِي), served as Imam for Taraweeh prayers in 2008.
  • Saleh Al-Talib, appointed Imam and Khateeb in 2002 and served until July 2018.
  • Khalid al Ghamdi, retired as Imam and Khateeb of Masjid Al Haram in September 2018, 10 years after appointment.
  • Saud Al-Shuraim, appointed Imam and Khateeb in 1992 and resigned in 2022.

Pilgrimage[edit]

The Great Mosque is the main setting for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages[54] that occur in the month of Dhu al-Hijja 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, over 5 million Muslims perform the Hajj every year.[55]

Structures[edit]

Destruction of heritage sites[edit]

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:[64][65]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Online

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Location of Masjid al-Haram". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  2. ^ "AL HARAM". makkah-madinah.accor.com.
  3. ^ Daye, Ali (21 March 2018). "Grand Mosque Expansion Highlights Growth of Saudi Arabian Tourism Industry (6 mins)". Cornell Real Estate Review. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  4. ^ Denny, Frederick M. (9 August 1990). Kieckhefer, Richard; Bond, George D. (eds.). Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions. University of California Press. p. 69. ISBN 9780520071896. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Great Mosque of Mecca | History, Expansion, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  6. ^ Ravindran, K. (5 January 2023). Holy Lands of Abrahamic Religions: A Brief History and Pilgrimage. Notion Press. ISBN 979-8-88869-631-6.
  7. ^ Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. 15 January 2011. ISBN 978-0-7614-9966-4.
  8. ^ Quran 3:97 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
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  10. ^ "Is Saudi Arabia Ready for Moderate Islam? – Latest Gulf News". www.fairobserver.com. 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  11. ^ Reid, Richard J. (12 January 2012). "The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa". A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present. John Wiley and Sons. p. 106. ISBN 978-0470658987. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  12. ^ Palmer, A. L. (26 May 2016). Historical Dictionary of Architecture (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 185–236. ISBN 978-1442263093. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  13. ^ Esposito, John (1998). Islam: The Straight Path (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 9, 12. ISBN 978-0-19-511234-4.
  14. ^ Esposito (2002b), pp. 4–5.
  15. ^ Peters, F.E. (2003). Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians. Princeton University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-691-11553-5.
  16. ^ Alli, Irfan (26 February 2013). 25 Prophets of Islam. eBookIt.com. ISBN 978-1456613075. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  17. ^ a b Palmer, A. L. (26 May 2016). Historical Dictionary of Architecture (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 185–236. ISBN 978-1442263093. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  18. ^ Michigan Consortium for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (1986). Goss, V. P.; Bornstein, C. V. (eds.). The Meeting of Two Worlds: Cultural Exchange Between East and West During the Period of the Crusades. Vol. 21. Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University. p. 208. ISBN 978-0918720580. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  19. ^ Mustafa Abu Sway. "The Holy Land, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Qur'an, Sunnah and other Islamic Literary Source" (PDF). Central Conference of American Rabbis. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2011.
  20. ^ Dyrness, W. A. (29 May 2013). Senses of Devotion: Interfaith Aesthetics in Buddhist and Muslim Communities. Vol. 7. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 25. ISBN 978-1620321362. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  21. ^ Watt, William Montgomery (2003). Islam and the Integration of Society. Psychology Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-415-17587-6. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  22. ^ Reid, Richard J. (12 January 2012). "The Islamic Frontier in Eastern Africa". A History of Modern Africa: 1800 to the Present. John Wiley and Sons. p. 106. ISBN 978-0470658987. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  23. ^ Quran 2:127 (Translated by Yusuf Ali)
  24. ^ "Quran 22:27". Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  25. ^ Quran 21:57–58
  26. ^ Mecca: From Before Genesis Until Now, M. Lings, pg. 39, Archetype
  27. ^ Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, C. Glasse, Kaaba, Suhail Academy
  28. ^ Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad (1955). Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah – The Life of Muhammad Translated by A. Guillaume. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 88–9. ISBN 9780196360331.
  29. ^ Karen Armstrong (2002). Islam: A Short History. p. 11. ISBN 0-8129-6618-X.
  30. ^ Guidetti, Mattia (2016). In the Shadow of the Church: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria. BRILL. p. 113. ISBN 9789004328839. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
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  35. ^ "Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques. (2023, August 3). 6 dedicated prayer halls for people with disabilities in the King Fahd expansion of the Grand Mosque. Tweet".
  36. ^ "King 'Abdullah Extension of Masjid al-Haram". Madain Project. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
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  41. ^ "Makkah crane crash report submitted". Al Arabiya. 14 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
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  43. ^ "Number of casualties of Turkish Haji candidates at the Kaaba accident reach 8…". Presidency of Religious Affairs. 13 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  44. ^ "Six Nigerians among victims of Saudi crane accident: official". Yahoo! News. AFP. 16 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  45. ^ Halkon, Ruth; Webb, Sam (13 September 2015). "Two Brits dead and three injured in Mecca Grand Mosque crane tragedy that killed 107 people l". Mirror Online. Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  46. ^ "Saudi Arabia to restart work on $26.6 bln Grand Mosque expansion". Reuters. 17 August 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  47. ^ "Saudi Arabia announces extraordinary measures to protect Mecca and Medina from coronavirus". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  48. ^ "COVID-19: 60,000 worshipers allowed to pray at Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia, from Sunday". gulfnews.com. 29 October 2020. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  49. ^ "List of 10 Imams of Masjid al Haram | Who is the Current Imam? |". 28 April 2022.
  50. ^ "Sheikh Dr. Faisal Jameel Ghazzawi, Makkah Grand Mosque imam". Arab News. 17 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
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