Great Mosque of Mecca, Mecca

The Great Mosque of Mecca, also known as the Haram Mosque, holds a place of extraordinary significance in the heart of the Islamic world. Located in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba. Every year, millions of Muslims from around the globe congregate here to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, making it a pivotal point of religious life for Muslims.

The mosque's current structure covers an area of 356,800 square meters, accommodating over a million worshippers during peak times such as the Hajj and Ramadan. The Kaaba, a cube-shaped building at the center of the mosque, is the direction towards which Muslims face during their daily prayers, no matter where they are in the world.

The history of the Great Mosque is deeply intertwined with Islamic tradition, believed to have been originally built by Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ishmael. Over the centuries, the mosque has undergone numerous expansions and renovations, particularly under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and, more recently, by the Saudi Arabian government, to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims.

The mosque is more than just a place of worship; it is a complex featuring a vast array of facilities, including indoor and outdoor praying spaces, ablution areas, and intricate Islamic art and calligraphy. It is also home to the Black Stone, set into the Kaaba's eastern corner, which holds profound religious significance.

Access to the Great Mosque is restricted to Muslims only, and it is busiest during the Hajj and Ramadan. However, even outside these periods, it remains a hive of activity, with worshippers visiting for the lesser pilgrimage known as 'Umrah or for the daily prayers.