Makkah

A sacred city to which the hearts of Muslims aspire to perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah. It has the Holy Mosque and the honorable Kaaba, the Qibla (the direction used by Muslims in various religious contexts) of Muslims in prayers. It is the city that witnessed the birth of the most noble of the creations, the seal of the prophets and messengers, the Prophet Mohammed, may peace and prayers be upon him. From the high mountains of this city, the tolerant message of Islam was disseminated to all parts of the earth after the revelation of the Holy Qur’an. Makkah is located in the west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the reign of the kings of the Kingdom, it has received a lot of attention for the increasing numbers of pilgrims and mu’tamirs, year on year. The most prominent landmark of Makkah, the Holy Mosque, has also witnessed many expansions of its various parts. The mashaer (holy sites) have also witnessed some development works in order to provide every means of comfort and reassurance for all pilgrims and mu’tamirs from inside and outside the Kingdom.

• Road to Makkah
• Holy Mosque of Makkah
• Arafah
• Mina
• Muzdalifah
• Most Prominent Landmarks
• Enrichment Destinations
• Weather
• Service Centers (Care)
• Important Numbers

Whoever wishes to visit Makkah and perform Hajj or Umrah can use one of the public means of transportation approved in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or use private vehicles.

• Whoever wishes to arrive in Makkah al-Mukarramah from inside or outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can:
• A pilgrim can then use one of the means of transportation available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reach Makkah al-Mukarramah:

The honorable Kaaba

The honorable Kaaba: It is an approximately cubic building. This is why it is called the Kaaba. It has four corners, which the Arabs call pillars and attribute to their directions. The Kaaba has four corners. Each of the four corners of the Kaaba has a name with a special significance. They are the Iraqi Corner, the Levantine Corner next to the Yemani Corner, and the Black Stone Corner where the stone itself is situated near the Kaaba door, which is opened twice a year. Additionally, there is the Hijr of Ismaa’eel, which is part of the Kaaba itself.
The honorable Kaaba has a special feature, which is that all Muslims turn to it in all prayers, being the Qibla of Muslims all over the world, and prayer will be invalid without turning to face it. The Kaaba is the first house built for the people. Allah Almighty says: (Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah [i.e., Makkah] – blessed and a guidance to the worlds). Bakkah means the Sacred House, and it is reported that it means Makkah al-Mukarramah.
Pilgrims circumambulate seven rounds around the Kaaba by having the Kaaba on their left alongside the Black Stone, either as a salute to the Holy Mosque of Makkah or to perform Hajj or Umrah.
In the course of history, the Kaaba has witnessed four stages since it was first constructed by Adam, may peace be upon him: The Prophet Ibrahim built its foundations with his son Ismaa’eel, may peace be upon them, following the event of the flood, in an uncultivated valley. The Prophet Ibrahim asked Allah to provide its people with fruits, and to make it a sacred and safe place, and Allah accepted his call. The Kaaba was then built by Quraysh, by Abdullah bin Zubair, and finally by Al-Hajjai Ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, may Allah be pleased with them. Later, the Kaaba witnessed some additions, such as Kiswah (covering), which is changed once every year on the morning of Arafah, in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, in addition to the Meezab [A protruding golden spout from where rainwater on the roof of the Kaaba falls] and the Shazrawan [The marble columns surrounding the shrine from three directions].
The roof of the Kaaba is supported by 49 pieces of teak wood brought from Burma and processed in Jeddah until it was dried out and the moisture was reduced. They were distributed on the walls of the Kaaba from inside evenly to support the roof.
Teak trees, the height of which reaches 45 meters, grow in the tropical forests in Southeast Asia. Their wood is used in the building of ships and high-quality furniture, due to their hardness, water resistance, and a fatty substance that resists insects.

Kiswah (Covering) of the Kaaba

The Kiswah of the Kaaba is an integral part of the history of the Kaaba itself. It consists of black silk on which verses from the Holy Qur’an are embroidered with gold water. It consists of four pieces distributed on the faces of the Kaaba, in addition to a fifth piece, which is a curtain on the door of the Kaaba. The manufacturing of the Kiswah is supervised by the Kiswah Factory of the Holy Kaaba, which is located in the center of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. The Kiswah is replaced with a new one once a year during Hajj, after the pilgrims go to the level of Arafah.

Door of the Kaaba

It is located in the eastern side of the Kaaba. It rises from the ground by more than 222 cm from Shazrawan. The door is 318 cm high, 170 cm wide, and about half a meter deep. Previously, the Kaaba had a hole to enter it, which was then replaced with a door, which had a long history and has been changed several times.
King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, may his soul rest in peace, commanded that a new door be manufactured in 1363 AH. It was then made of aluminum with a thickness of 2.5 cm and a height of 3.10 meters. It was supported with bars of iron. Then, the outer face of the door was covered with plates of silver plated with gold. The door was decorated with the fine names of Allah. During the reign of King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, he commanded the door to be replaced with a new one made of pure gold, which is currently in place.
For a long time, the door had been opened irregularly, which was dangerous to the lives of those who were in the crowd. This led to the door being opened only twice a year. The first time is in the month of Sha’ban, for washing the Kaaba, and the second time is at the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah, for washing the Kaaba and hanging the new Kiswah.

Muzdalifah

A part that is located on the roof of the Kaaba, on the north side, and extends towards the Hijr. It is used for draining water from the surface of the Kaaba when rain falls or the Kaaba is washed. The first Meezab was installed by Quraysh to act as a roof. It is 258 cm long, 26 cm wide, and 23 cm high. The height of each side is 23 cm. It enters 58 cm into the roof wall.
It was made of pure gold, lined on the inside with thick pure silver, which means that gold surrounds silver from the inside and both sides.
During the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, the old Meezab on the roof of the Kaaba was replaced with a new, stronger and more durable one, with the same specifications as the old Meezab.

The Black Stone

It is a reddish-black stone located in the southern corner to the left of the door of the Kaaba. It rises 110 cm above the ground. It is set into the wall of the Kaaba. It is worth noting that the Black Stone was broken due to some accidents. It used to measure about 30 cm in diameter, but now only eight very small pebbles remain. They are surrounded by a silver frame. Tawaf starts from and ends with the Black Stone. Its original color was white.

Yemani Corner

It is the southwestern corner of the Kaaba. It parallels the southeastern corner where the Black Stone is situated. It precedes the Black Stone in tawaf. It is called the Yemani Corner because it is located towards Yemen. The Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, said (Verily, rubbing one’s hand on the Yemeni Corner and the Black Corner (i.e. the Black Stone) absolutely wipes out all sins).

Multazam and Shazrawan

Multazam is a piece and part of the Kaaba. It is located between the Black Stone and the door of the honorable Kaaba. It is a place for acceptance of supplication, and it is Sunnah to supplicate next to it. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that he was used to standing between the corner and the door, and he used to say: Between the corner and the door is called Multazam, and Allah will grant a person whatever he asks for there. It is called Multazam because the people cling to it and supplicate to Allah Shazrawan is a baseboard that surrounds the honorable Kaaba from below. It is built of marble on three sides only, except for the side of the stone. It has rings to attach the Kiswah of the Kaaba. There is no Shazrawan under the door wall. It was built to support the Kaaba wall and protect it from torrential rains. The last renovation of Shazrawan was during the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, during the great renovation of the Kaaba, where the old marble was replaced with a new one with similar colors and quality, while the old marbles under the door of the Kaaba remained because they were beautiful and precious and of high quality and durability.

Mataf Sahn

It is the place of circumambulation. It means the area furnished with white marble around the honorable Kaaba. Now, it is called Sahn. In Sahn, Muslims circumambulate seven times round the Kaaba. It witnesses continuous movement during day and night, as some Muslims perform Tawaf and others bow and prostrate, as Allah, Almighty, says: (And purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate). It is called mataf in reference to circumambulation around the Kaaba.
The Mataf Sahn received great care and attention from caliphs, kings, and rulers. In 1424 AH, the entrances to the vault of the Well of Zamzam were covered to make the most of the Mataf Sahn. Its capacity, including all floors, amounts to 107,000 pilgrims per hour.

Maqam Ibrahim

It is the stone on which the Prophet Ibrahim, peace and blessings be upon him, stood to call for Hajj, when Allah commanded him to do so, as Allah says: (And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways). It was said that it is the stone on which the Prophet Ibrahim, peace and blessings be upon him, stood to build the Sacred House, and the footprints in the middle of the stone are the impressions of his feet.
About its virtues, it is said that Allah ordered Muslims to pray at this place, as Allah says (And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. And We charged Abraham and Ishmael, [saying], “Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are staying [there] for worship and those who bow and prostrate [in prayer]).
The Sunnah for pilgrims is to pray two rak‘ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim after tawaf. The Sunnah during tawaf is to recite Surat Al-Kafiroon after Surah Al-Fatihah in the first rak‘ah and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second rak‘ah. If it is not possible to pray behind Maqam Ibrahim, a pilgrim can pray anywhere inside the Holy Mosque.
It was reported in Hadith that Maqam Ibrahim is from Paradise, as the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, said: (Indeed the Corner and the Maqam are two corundums from the corundum of Paradise Allah removed their lights, and if their lights had not been removed, then they would illuminate what is between east and the west). It is not permissible to touch or seek blessings from Maqam, as this is a heresy.

Hijr of Ismaa’eel

The Hijr is a circular structure in the form of a semi-circle. One of its ends is parallel to the northern corner, while the other end to the western corner. When Quraysh decided to build the foundation of the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, they left the Hijr and stoned this place to be known as a part of the Kaaba. So, it was called Hijr. It is also known as Al-Hateem, because the House was raised while this part was not.

Well of Zamzam

It is located inside the Holy Mosque of Makkah. It was discovered during the era of the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismaa’eel, may peace be upon them. The water of the Well of Zamzam is blessed and used for drinking as it suffices as food and cures diseases, as the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, said (Verily, it is blessed, food that nourishes, and a healing from sickness).
It was called Zamzam because when Hajar [The second wife of Prophet Ibrahim] saw the water flowing out of the earth, she started pushing the earth around the water, saying: “Zome, zome.” It also has several other names, including: Baraka, Bushra, and Kick of Jibril.
The Well of Zamzam is an important element inside the Holy Mosque. It is the most famous well on earth, because of its distinguished spiritual position and connection with the conscience of Muslims in general. The well is currently not seen, as it is located below the surface of the earth in the mataf area. Many scientists, who have conducted scientific research on Zamzam water, reported that it has unique properties not available in ordinary water, in addition to some miraculous manifestations, as it has never run out since it came into existence, and it still retains the same properties and components of salts and minerals.
The Well of Zamzam is fed by three springs. The first one faces the black corner, the second is opposite to mountains of Abu Qubais and Safa, and the third faces Marwah.
The Well of Zamzam received constant attention from the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which Allah Almighty has exclusively venerated with the service of the Two Holy Mosques during the continuous expansions of the Holy Mosque in Makkah. The last expansion was the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Project for Zamzam Water, which was a quantum leap and a radical change, as it facilitated access of pilgrims and mu’tamirs to the Zamzam water.
The project was developed in Kudai Area in Makkah al-Mukarramah at a cost of more than 700 million riyals, to provide a service that Allah has combined in the Holy Quran with the maintenance of the Holy Mosque, by pulling water from the well and purifying it, then filling and distributing it automatically using the latest global technologies. Therefore, acces to Zamzam water became easy from anywhere inside the Holy Mosque or the Prophet’s Mosque, while it is refrigerated in designated containers.

Sa‘y – Safa and Marwah

Safa is the mount from which pilgrims and mu’tamirs begin Sa’y. Marwah is the end of Sa’y. Sa‘y was prescribed between Safa and Marwah. Sa‘y is one of the pillars of Hajj and Umrah. When the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, approached Safa, he would recite the verse: (Indeed, as-safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs ‘umrah – there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good – then indeed, Allah is Appreciative and Knowing).
When climbing Safa, the Prophet used to follow the direction of Qibla and say (There is no deity but Allah alone, He has no partner. Sovereignty is His, and praise is His, and He has power over all things. There is no deity but Allah alone. He fulfilled His promise and helped His servant and defeated the parties alone). He repeats this supplication three times.
Sa‘y is one of the greatest rituals in which Muslims gather. The Saudi government has taken care of developing Sa‘y to help pilgrims of the Sacred House. It is 40 meters wide and has four floors, with a total area of more than 87 thousand square meters.

Marble of the Holy Mosque in Makkah

Mataf Sahn, inside the Holy Mosque in Makkah, is distinguished by its floors that are not affected by the very low temperature or intense sunlight, due to the use of marble, which is commercially called “Thassos.” It is a rare type of marble that is specially manufactured and imported from specific mountains in Greece, to reflect light and heat, unlike ordinary stones, such as granite and natural marble. The thickness of the floor of the Holy Mosque in Makkah is 5 centimeters.

The largest air purification station in the world

The Holy Mosque in Makkah provides the largest air-cooling and purification station in the world to purify air inside the Holy Mosque nine times a day and sterilize air with ultraviolet rays before expelling it through special air conditioners. The purification process has three stages, as follows: Drawing in natural air from the roof of the Holy Mosque by intake fans, and purifying and delivering it again through cooling units, which constitute an initial cooling stage. The Holy Mosque of Makkah has two of the largest cooling stations in the world. The first one is: Ajyad Station with a production capacity of 35,300 refrigeration tons. The second one is: The New Central Station with a production capacity of 120 thousand refrigeration tons, to feed the third Saudi expansion and other parts of the Holy Mosque.

ne of the stages of the pilgrim’s journey. It occurs on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, where pilgrims stand at Arafah. The Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, said: (Hajj is Arafah). That is why it is called the Greatest Day of Hajj.
Standing at Arafah and supplication anywhere within the boundaries of Arafah or the Mountain of Mercy are prescribed on the day of Arafah.
On the day of Arafah, pilgrims join and shorten zuhr prayer and asr prayer. The prayer has a sermon as the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, did as he performed Hajj, delivered a sermon, and led Muslims in his last farewell Hajj. Pilgrims start to depart Arafat to head to Muzdalifah after the sunset.
The day of Arafah has great virtues, as the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, said that the day of Arafah is the best day for Allah.

Namirah Mosque

A mosque that was built in Arafah where the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, delivered a sermon for the last farewell Hajj. In Namirah Mosque, thousands of pilgrims pray zuhr and asr prayers on the day of Arafah. It is located to the west of Arafah. The western part of the Mosque is located in Wadi ‘Arnah, which is a valley of Makkah Al-Mukarramah where the Prophet prohibited pilgrims from standing there because it is not a part of Arafat, but it is very close thereto.
Namirah Mosque is known in many books by several other names, such as the Mosque of the Prophet Ibrahim, Arafah Mosque, and Arnah Mosque. The name Arafah Mosque was originated from a village outside Arafah Area where the Prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, resided and then moved to the valley, where he prayed zuhr and asr prayers and delivered a sermon in the Mosque.
During the era of the Saudi State, the Mosque witnessed the largest expansions in history, where it became the second largest mosque in Makkah in terms of area after the Holy Mosque. The length of the Mosque from east to west is 340 meters, and the width from north to south is 240 meters. Its area is more than 110,000 square meters. Behind the Mosque, there is a shaded area of 8 thousand square meters. The Mosque accommodates about 350 thousand worshippers. It has six minarets and an equipped outside broadcasting room for broadcasting the sermon and zuhr and asr prayers on the day of Arafat, directly by satellite.