Kaaba

Kaaba (Ka'aba)
Coordinates: 21.4225°N 39.826181°ECoordinates: 21.4225°N 39.826181°E
Location	Mecca, al-Hejaz, Saudi Arabia
Branch/tradition	Islam
Architectural information
Height (max)	13.1 m (43 ft)

The Kaaba or Ka'aba (Arabic: الكعبة‎‎ al-Kaʿbah IPA: [ælˈkæʕbɐ], "The Cube"), also known as the Sacred House (البيت الحرام‎ Baytu l-Ḥarām) and the Ancient House (البيت العتيق‎ Baytu l-'Atīq), is a cuboid building at the centre of Islam's most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the most sacred point within this most sacred mosque, making it the most sacred location in Islam.^[1] Wherever they are in the world, Muslims are expected to face the Kaaba – i.e. when outside Mecca, to face toward Mecca – when performing salat (prayers).

Al-Masjid al-Haram was built around the Kaaba.^[2] From any point in the world, the direction facing the Kaaba is called the qibla.

As long as they are able to do so, one of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. Multiple parts of the hajj require pilgrims to make tawaf, the circumambulation seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction. Tawaf is also performed by pilgrims during the umrah (lesser pilgrimage).^[1] However, the most interesting times are during the hajj, when millions of pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.^[3][4] In 2013, the number of pilgrims coming from outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform hajj was officially reported as 1,100,544.^[5]