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Al-Masjid al-Haram or "The Sacred Mosque", is the iconic mosque in Mecca. Commonly known as the Haram or Haram Sharif, it is the largest and holiest mosque in the world. Masjid al-Haram surrounds the Kaaba, the structure which Muslims face when offering daily prayers. Presently Masjid al-Haram covers an area of 356,800 square meters including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces. It can accommodate up to 4 million worshippers during the Hajj period. According to Islamic belief, the mosque was first built by the angels before the creation of mankind, when God ordained a place of worship on Earth to reflect the house in heaven called al-Baytu l-Mamur, meaning "The Worship Place of Angels". Al-Baytu l-Mamur is believed to be located in heaven directly above the Kaaba. The first Kaaba was built by angels and Adam was the first human to re-build it. Over the ages, the mosque was destroyed and rebuilt anew. According to popular belief, it was famously built by Ibrahim (Abraham), with the help of his son Ismael. They were ordered by Allah to build the mosque, and the Kaaba. The Black Stone is situated near the eastern corner of the Kaaba, and according to some people is believed to have 'fallen from heaven' and turned black due to man's misdeeds. Others believe it is only a mark to start the circumambulation around the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the direction for all the Muslims to pray across the globe thus signifying unity among all. The Islamic teaching specifically mentions that nothing is magical about Masjid-ul-haram except for the oasis ZamZam which has never dried ever since it was revealed. Muslim belief places the story of Ishmael and his mother's search for water in the general vicinity of the mosque. In the story, Hagar runs between the hills of Safa and Marwah looking for water for her son, until God eventually reveals to her the Zamzam Well, from where water continues to flow non-stop to this day. After the Hijra, upon Muhammed's victorious return to Mecca, the people of Mecca themselves removed all the idols in and around the Kaaba and cleansed it. This began the Islamic rule over the Kaaba, and the building of a mosque around it. The first major renovation to Masjid al-Haram took place in 692. Before this renovation – which included the mosque's outer walls been risen and decoration to the ceiling - Masjid al-Haram was a small open area with the Ka'aba at the centre. By the end of the 700s the old wooden columns of Masjid al-Haram 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. The spread of Islam in the Middle East and the influx of pilgrims required an almost complete rebuilding of the site which came to include more marble and three further minarets. Masjid al-Haram caught fire in 1399. The fire and the subsequent out-season heavy rain destroyed the mosque. It was rebuilt over a six-year period using marble and wood sourced from nearby mountains in the Hejaz region of present-day Saudi Arabia. In 1570, the mosque was renovated again by Sultan Selim II's private architect. The flat roof were replaced with domes decorated with calligraphy on the inside and new support columns. These features still present today are the oldest surviving parts of the building and in fact are older than the Ka'aba itself (apart from the black stone itself) which is currently in its fourth incarnation made in 1629. According to the Saudi government, the earliest date for architectural features of the present Masjid al-Haram dates to 1570. More damages caused by rain in the 1620s required the Masjid al-Haram to be renovated again. A new stone arcade was added, and three more minarets were built. The marble flooring was also retiled. For the next three centuries, the mosque remained in this unaltered state. With Saudi Arabia holding the status of "Guardian of the Holy Places" and King Abdul Aziz being conferred the honorific title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (the other being the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina), more architectural and structural changes were put forward to the Masjid al-Haram. The expansion of the mosque included the replacement of the support columns with artificial stone and marble. Four minarets were added in the first Saudi renovation. The second Saudi renovations (1982-1988) were carried out under King Fahd. A new wing, accessed through King Fahd Gate, and an outdoor prayer area were added to the mosque. This extension is considered to have been from 1982-1988. The third Saudi extension (1988-2005) saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a King's residence overlooking the Mosque and further prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments have taken place simaltenously with those in Arafat, Mina and Mazdilifah. In this third extension, 18 more gates were built, three domes corresponding in position to each gate, and the installation of nearly 500 marble columns. Modern additions included heated floors, air conditioning, escalators and drainage system. The death of King Fahd means that the Mosque is now into the fourth extension which began in 2007 and is projected to last until 2020. King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz plans to increase the capacity of the mosque by 35% from its current maximum capacity of 800,000 with 1,120,000 outside the Mosque itself.  Masjid al-Haram in May 2007, Mecca by Micro Jay, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Makkeh.jpg, available in the public domain. |
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