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Great Mosque of Mecca
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Thousands of Muslim pilgrims gather around the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, with two minarets and city buildings in the background. Mecca: Great Mosque hajj pilgrim Mecca: Kaaba Thousands of Muslim pilgrims dressed in white circle the Kaaba in the brightly lit Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca at night during the Hajj pilgrimage. The Kaaba in Mecca during the hajj
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Thousands of Muslim pilgrims gather around the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, with two minarets and city buildings in the background.
Great Mosque of Mecca Muslim pilgrims surrounding the Kaaba (center) at the Great Mosque of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Great Mosque of Mecca

mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Also known as: Haram Mosque, Holy Mosque, al-Masjid al-Ḥarām
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History

Great Mosque of Mecca, mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, built to enclose the Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam. As one of the destinations of the hajj and ʿumrah pilgrimages, it receives millions of worshippers each year. The oldest parts of the modern structure date to the 16th century. The mosque, which comprises a rectangular central courtyard surrounded by covered prayer areas, is the site of several pilgrimage rituals. Pilgrims use the courtyard to perform...

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