The city of Mecca is located in Western SaudiArabia. Thousands of people visit this sacred place daily. But most of all Muslims gather here during the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, a great pilgrimage. Visit the temple of Kaaba in Mecca in 2015, they wanted about two million people.
Kaaba on the narration of the "Qur'an" - the first in the worlda temple built to worship Allah. According to legend, the building was laid long before the beginning of the prophecy of Muhammad, and the construction of the prophet Ibrahim finished.
Kaaba is not a masterpiece of Saudi architectureArabia as such, outwardly it does not look rich, it is not decorated with stucco and bas-reliefs. Its appearance is a cube of inconspicuous gray stone, usually covered with a heavy black cloth. On the magnificent smooth surface of silk gold embroidered lines of the Koran. This veil is called kisva and changes once a year.
Throughout its existence, the Holy Cubemore than once was rebuilt and reconstructed. The last time the temple was fortified and renovated in 1996. Now he preserves the kind that he had under the Prophet Muhammad. The sacred Kaaba inside contains tablets with the names of the rulers, during which the next reconstruction took place.
During pilgrimage pilgrims 7 times bypasscube and say the words of prayer. To indicate the place from which this ritual should begin, Black Stone was used. It is noteworthy that several times the stone was abducted, which contributed to its split. Now the sacred relic is framed with silver and mounted in one of the corners of the cube. Every believer dreams of touching and kissing the Black Stone during the Hajj. According to the Muslim tradition, he was originally white, but changed color, as he absorbed the sins of all believers who touched him.
Millions of Muslims saw the Holy Cube, and thatinside the Kaaba? The fact is that the entrance to the mosque is accessible only to a very limited circle of people, and simple pilgrims do not appear to be able to get there. However, until now, everyone who wanted could know what was inside the Kaaba. Several times a week, any Muslim could pray in the temple itself.
The interior decoration of the Holy Cube is notis distinguished by luxury. There are no expensive fabrics, stunning stained glass and paintings, the walls are not inlaid with stones, as is done in other temples and mosques. Inside the Kaaba are three pillars supporting a decorative ceiling, lamps hanging from above, and a simple table for incense. However, every Muslim dreams if not to pray in the temple, then at least touch it from the outside and pay their prayers to Allah.
Feel the atmosphere of Hajj, kiss Blackstone, pay homage to Allah, find out what is inside the Kaaba - this is one of the most important desires in life for many Muslim believers. But to realize your dream, it is necessary to make a lot of efforts.
The places on the hajj are strictly limited and stand outseparately for each country in the amount of one seat per 1,000 Muslim believers. The cost of a trip for one person is from $ 3000, people save on their hajj for years. But this does not guarantee the fulfillment of the pilgrimage - there are many more yearly who wish to visit Mecca than free quotas.
Allah has ordered to perform hajj only to those who canto fully ensure his family and himself during the pilgrimage period. And people who are willing to sell their property in order to raise enough money to travel to Mecca are strictly forbidden.
Muslims make a pilgrimage daily to touch the sacred relics of Islam, go around the Kaaba and pray where the prophets prayed.
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