On the territory of the Arabian Peninsula in Arabickingdom is a city. Here the Prophet Muhammad was born, and the name of this sacred place is Mecca. The al-Haram Mosque is a shrine, where every devout seeks to get to, is located on its territory. For people preaching non-Muslim religion, the entrance to it is closed. But what is it that attracts this structure of all the faithful?
History of appearance
It is understandable why it is so important for believerscity of Mecca. The al-Haram Mosque, located in it, is considered the main one. Why? This will become clear if you read the Koran. From this we learn that in the year 38 of the seventh century Adam founded the first mosque around al-Hajar al-Aswad (translated as a stone of Forgiveness). At that moment the stone was still white, and it shone in the sun. The Lord Himself sent it as a sign of forgiveness and acceptance of repentance from Adam and Eve.
The flood waters broke the structure, but in placeAbraham (father) and Ismail (son) rebuilt the prayer house in the middle of the sixteenth century. The construction site was indicated by the archangel Gabriel himself.
To invite everyone to worship the Kaaba, Abraham (inKoran Ibrahim) rose, thanks to the divine miracle, up to the clouds and said the following: "People! You are ordered to all of you to go to the ancient temple to worship! "And they responded to his call:" Before You, Lord, before You! ".
Today every year millions of devout people takecity of Mecca. The al-Haram mosque opens its gates, and the believers circumambulate the Kaaba seven times with the same words that were originally pronounced at the call of Ibrahim.
The role of the Kaaba
It is in the eastern corner of the building, whichis a sacred Cube (in the Arabic Kaaba), now lies the stone of Forgiveness, set in silver. Only now it has turned black and faded because of the sins of men. The building itself is a black cube of fifteen-meter height, and its corners are placed on the sides of the world and are called:
- Yemeni (to the south);
- Iraqi (to the north);
- Levantine (to the west);
- Stone (to the east).
It is in the direction of Mecca that all Muslims of the world turn during daily appeals to Allah's face.
Огромная по своим масштабам мечеть аль-Харам в Mecca. Why is this mosque forbidden? From Arabic, the title is translated as the Zapovednaya (Forbidden). Right opposite the Kaaba is another shrine - the stone of Makam al-Ibrahim. According to legend, it was from this place that Ibrahim began construction work. And at a distance of several meters there is a semicircular wall from which water flows - the source of Zamzam, which the archangel Gabriel himself opened with a blow of the staff.
Keys from the Kaaba are kept by the representatives of the Bani Pike family. According to legend, they were given to the family by Muhammad himself and ordered to keep the building in order.
Perestroika for all time
From the original structure, there is nothing left, for several times the al-Haram mosque was rebuilt (Mecca). Photo, as the building looked like before, was preserved in the archives.
It was a building with six minarets, until the Blue Mosque with the same number was built in Istanbul. By the order of King Ahmed I the seventh was erected to confirm the greatness of the structure.
The first significant restructuring was made inlate 80s of XX century, so that the mosque could accommodate all those wishing to perform the Hajj. Then a new building with two minarets was added. Now there are nine of them - the largest number in the world. Their height reaches 89 m. The main entrance is on the south-eastern side, it has the name - Gate of King Faht.
After such a restructuring on the territory of the complexAt the same time, about 800,000 believers could pray. Another major reconstruction was carried out in 2007-2012. The territory was expanded to the north, the Gate of King Abdullah was completed. Such a restructuring cost more than 10 billion US dollars.
Modern look
What is today the mosque of al-Haram (Mecca)? The photo perfectly reflects the grandeur of the building. The reserve mosque now occupies a total area of about 400 thousand meters2, four main gates and forty-fouradditional entrance, 500 marble columns and 7 wide escalators. Air conditioners maintain a comfortable temperature, and many rooms allow pilgrims to refresh themselves from the road at any time and bathe.
The holy city of Muslims is Mecca.The al-Haram mosque today takes up to 1.12 million pilgrims at a time. If you take into account the surrounding territories, up to 2.5 million believers can pray together.
The tragedy during the Hajj
In 2015, September 11, there was a tragedy inMecca in the mosque of al-Haram. One of the tower cranes, with which construction work was carried out, fell under the gusts of wind into the courtyard of the Forbidden Mosque, breaking through the roof. At that moment, thousands of devout people participated in the ritual of Hajj. As a result of the collapse, 107 people died, and more than 230 were injured.
The cause of the tragedy is a sandstorm that raged for several days on the Arabian Peninsula. It was the worst storm in 75 years.
Believers consider this tragic eventevidence of the approach of the end of the world and the Day of Judgment. After all, Muhammad prophesied: "In the year when the blood of the faithful will be shed on the sacred Kaaba, the Mahdi will appear." It is also called the hidden Imam and the Messiah, the second rebirth of the prophet Isa (Jesus).
