Ka'bah
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Ka'bah is a shrine that is near the centre of the Great Mosque. It is considered a very sacred spot in Mecca by Muslims. Muslims begin to do the the five daily prayers, and while doing so - they bury their dead facing its meridian, and cherish the ambition of visiting it on pilgrimage.
Ka'bah was believed to be built by Abraham. Kaʿbah was not well known in the early history, but before the rise of Islam - the period before it used Ka'bah as a polytheist sanctuary for pilgrimages. In the eastern corner of the Kaʿbah are broken pieces, known as the Black Stone of Mecca, surrounded by a ring of stone and held together by a heavy silver band. Muslims believe Adam was given this stone when he was expelled to be forgiven of his sins. Some believe the stone was originally white but became black after forgiving sins of the countless thousands of pilgrims who have kissed and touched it. Muslims walk around the Kaʿbah seven times, during which they kisses and touches the Black Stone, when they go on the pilgrimage. Dhuʾl-Hijja, or pilgrimages, is finished, a ceremonial washing of the Kaʿbah is done. |