On the territory of the Arabian Peninsula in the Arab kingdom is a city. The Prophet Muhammad was born here, and the name of this sacred place is Mecca. Al-Haram Mosque - a shrine where every devout seeks to get, is located on its territory. For people who preach a non-Muslim religion, the entrance to it is closed. But what makes this structure of all the faithful so attractive to itself?
Appearance story
It is quite clear why the city of Mecca is so important for believers. Al-Haram Mosque, located in it, is considered the main one. Why? This will become clear if you read the Quran. We learn from it that in the 38th year of the seventh century, Adam founded the first mosque around al-Hajar al-Aswad (translated as the stone of Forgiveness). At that moment that stone was still white, and it shone in the sun. The Lord Himself sent him as a sign of forgiveness and acceptance of repentance from Adam and Eve.
The flood waters broke the structure, but on the site of the destroyed foundation Abraham (father) and Ishmael (son) again restored the house of worship in the middle of the sixteenth century. The construction site was indicated by the archangel Gabriel himself.
To invite everyone to bow to the Kaaba, Abraham (in the Qur'an Ibrahim) rose, thanks to a divine miracle, up to the clouds and said the following: “People! It is ordered that all of you go to the ancient temple in order to bow! ” And they responded to his call: "Before You, Lord, before You!"
Today, every year, the city of Mecca hosts millions of faithful. Al-Haram Mosque opens its gates, and believers go around the Kaaba seven times with the same words that were originally uttered at the call of Ibrahim.
The role of the Kaaba
It is in the eastern corner of the building, which is the sacred Cuba (in the Arabic Kaaba), that now lies the stone of Forgiveness, set in silver. Only now has it turned black and faded due to human sins. The building itself is a black cube of fifteen-meter height, and its corners are located on the cardinal points and are called:
- Yemen (to the south);
- Iraqi (to the north);
- Levantine (to the west);
- Stone (to the east).
It is in the direction of Mecca that all Muslims of the world turn during daily appeals to Allah face.
The enormous in scale mosque al-Haram in Mecca. Why is this mosque forbidden? From the Arabic name is translated as Reserved (Forbidden). Directly opposite the Kaaba is another shrine - the stone of Makam al-Ibrahim. According to legend, it was from this place that Ibrahim began construction work. And at a distance of several meters there is a semicircular wall from which water flows - the source of Zamzam, which was discovered by the archangel Gabriel himself with a blow from the staff.
The keys to the Kaaba are kept by representatives of the Bani Shayba family. According to legend, Muhammad himself gave them to the family and ordered them to keep the building in order.
All-time overhaul
Nothing was left from the original construction, since the mosque al-Haram (Mecca) was rebuilt several times. The photo, how the building looked before, has been preserved in the archives.
It was a building with six minarets, until the Blue Mosque with the same number was built in Istanbul. By order of King Ahmed I , the seventh was erected to affirm the grandeur of the structure.
The first significant restructuring was made in the late 80s of the XX century, so that the mosque could accommodate everyone who wants to perform the hajj. Then a new building was added with two minarets. Now there are nine of them - the largest number in the world. Their height reaches 89 m. The main entrance is on the southeast side, it has the name - Gate of King Facht.
After such a reconstruction, about 800,000 believers could pray at the same time on the territory of the complex. Another major reconstruction was made in 2007-2012. The territory was expanded to the north, the Gate of King Abdullah was completed. Such a restructuring cost more than 10 billion US dollars.
Modern look
What is the Al-Haram (Mecca) mosque today? The photo perfectly reflects the grandeur of the building. The reserved mosque now occupies a territory with a total area of about 400 thousand square meters, four main gates and forty-four additional entrances, 500 marble columns and 7 wide escalators. Air conditioners maintain a comfortable temperature, and many rooms allow pilgrims to refresh themselves on the road at any time and take a bath.
The holy city of Muslims is Mecca. Al-Haram Mosque today accepts up to 1.12 million pilgrims at a time. If we take into account the adjacent territories, then up to 2.5 million believers can make a joint prayer.
Hajj tragedy
In 2015, on September 11, a tragedy occurred in Mecca at the Al-Haram Mosque. One of the tower cranes, with which construction work was carried out, fell under the gusts of wind into the courtyard of the Forbidden Mosque, breaking through the roof. At that moment, thousands of faithful participated in the Hajj ceremony. As a result of the collapse, 107 people were killed, and more than 230 were injured.
The cause of the tragedy is called a sandstorm, which raged for several days on the Arabian Peninsula. It was the worst storm in 75 years.
Believers consider this tragic incident evidence of the approaching Doomsday and Doomsday. After all, Muhammad prophesied: “In the year when the blood of the faithful spills on the holy Kaaba, the Mahdi will appear.” He is also called the hidden imam and messiah, the second rebirth of the prophet Isa (Jesus).