The Kaaba, sometimes referred to as al-Ka'ba al-Musharrafa, is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is considered by Muslims to be the Bayt Allah and is the qibla for Muslims around the world. The current structure was built after the original building was damaged by fire during the siege of Mecca by Umayyads in 683 AD.
The Kaaba in December 2020
"Muhammad at the Ka'ba" from the Siyer-i Nebi. Muhammad is shown with veiled face, c. 1595.
Miniature from 1307 CE depicting Muhammad fixing the black stone into the Kaaba
The Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram depicted on a talismanic shirt, 16th or early 17th century
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centered on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad, the religion's founder. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number approximately 1.9 billion worldwide and are the world's second-largest religious population after Christians.
The Kaaba at Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest Islamic site
Calligraphy showing the word Allah in Arabic in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
A 16th century Siyer-i Nebi image of the angel Gabriel visiting Muhammad
A Quran manuscript resting on a rehal, a book rest for the holy text