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Al-Haram Mosque

✨ The sacred heart

Al-Masjid al-Haram, or the Grand Mosque, surrounds the Kaaba in Mecca and is the holiest mosque in Islam. Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during their daily prayers, while pilgrims perform tawaf by circling it during Hajj and Umrah. The mosque has developed over many centuries through successive expansions and renovations.

Its central area, the Mataf, surrounds the Kaaba and includes important features such as Maqam Ibrahim and the Zamzam Well. The complex also encompasses the route between Safa and Marwah, where pilgrims perform sa'i as part of Hajj and Umrah. Its history therefore combines a major religious function with a long architectural development shaped by the need to accommodate large numbers of worshippers.

The mosque underwent major expansions during the Saudi era. The first Saudi expansion began in 1955 and was carried out in several stages, followed by a second major expansion that began in 1988. A third major expansion started in 2011 and became the largest in the mosque's history in terms of area and capacity. Development has continued with additional prayer areas, courtyards, entrances, services, and systems designed to facilitate the movement of pilgrims.

According to Saudi official sources, the present complex covers about 1.5 million square metres and can accommodate more than three million worshippers. Al-Masjid al-Haram is therefore both a major place of worship and a vast architectural complex whose successive expansions reflect the continuing importance of Mecca as a destination for Muslim pilgrims.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that Al-Haram Mosque never closes its doors? It's the only place on Earth that is always full of people, even at three in the morning! Pilgrims constantly circle the Kaaba while chanting, creating a magnificent circular motion that never stops, 24 hours a day and every day of the year.

Inside the mosque is a magical well called Zamzam. Legend has it that it gushed out in the desert thousands of years ago to save a thirsty child. This well has never run dry since, offering fresh and pure water to millions of travelers each year. It is one of the oldest wells still active in the world!

The Kaaba, the black cube at the center, is covered with an immense silk cloth called the Kiswa. Did you know it is embroidered with about 120 kilograms of pure gold and silver? Every year, a new Kiswa is made by specialized craftsmen. It is the most precious and heaviest clothing for a building in the world!