Location and History
Located in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Masjid Al Haram, also known as the Holy Mosque or Haram Mosque, is the largest mosque in the entire world and the eighth largest building in the world.
The term ‘Masjid Al Haram’ means ‘The Sacred Mosque’. It is named so because it surrounds the Kaaba, which is the most important and holiest shrine in the religion of Islam and also because Masjid Al Haram is the most important mosque in Islam and the site of pilgrimage for Muslims. It receives millions of worshippers from all over the world each year. As of now, the mosque is under the control of the King of Saudi Arabia.
Architecture
While Masjid Al Haram has undergone many renovations over the course of time, the oldest part of the structure dates back to the 16th century. The structure of the mosque consists of a rectangular courtyard in the center that is surrounded by covered prayer areas.
The courtyard houses two more sacred sites. One of these is Maqam-e-Ibrahim (station of Ibrahim) which is a stone with roots in Islamic tradition and history. The other is the oasis of Zamzam, which contains sacred spring water and has purportedly never dried since it was revealed.
To the north and east of the courtyard lie two small hills called al-Safa and al-Marwah, which are also part of the pilgrimage ritual of Muslims.
The total area of the mosque is about 356,000 square feet and it can hold up to 4 million people.
