Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Islamic. Pre-Islamic monument; rededicated by Muhammad in 631-632 C.E.; multiple renovations. Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread
Cubed building known as the Kaba may not rival skyscrapers in height or mansions in width, but its impact on history and human beings is unmatched. The Kaba is the building towards which Muslims face five times a day, everyday, in prayer. This has been the case since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) over 1400 years ago.
Form:
- It is about 13 meters high and the sides are 11 meters long.
Content:
-The interior of the Kaaba is fitted with a marble and limestone floor.
-This black brocade cloth that is hung around the Kabba is known as the Kiswah.
-The Kiswah is elegant and coated in elegantly done Calligraphy.
-The Calligraphy is of important verses “ayats” from the Quran.
-Intense modifications have been done to the Kaaba
-The area around it is has been expanded multiple times to compensate for the growing amounts of people participating in the pilgrimage
-This was done by the second caliph ‘Umar (ruled from 634-44)
-In 683 CE the Kaaba was set on fire during a civil war
-It broke apart and was reconstructed by Ibn Zubayr
-He used wood and stone and followed the original dimensions
-Ummayyad caliph al-Walid ruled from 705-15 CE ornately decorated the Grand Mosque, that surrounds the Kaaba, with mosaics that surrounds the Kaaba.
Function:
-Every Muslim faces the direction of the Kaaba and Mecca when they are praying and they pray five times a day.
-It establishes the universal direction of prayer for all Muslims.
-It is also the location where the Muslim population takes a very important religious pilgrimage. Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims travel to Mecca and circumvent the Kaaba five times.
-Most Muslims hope they can take this pilgrimage once in their lives and it is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Context:
-The Kaaba is important because it is believed that Abraham and his son Ismail constructed it.
- It is symbolic of the journey and triumph of Muhammed.
-He was driven out of Mecca (location of kaaba) and when he was the Kaaba was taken over and filled with Icons and other items that diverged from traditional Muslim values.
-Upon his return he wiped the Kaaba of idols and returning it to a shrine dedicated to Ibrahim and the Muslim faith.
-The stone is thought to have been given to Ibrahim by the Angle Gabriel.
-In 632 CE, which was the year Muhammed died, he made his final pilgrimage to the Kaaba and established the tradition.
Cross Cultural Comparison: The Western Wall (Judaism)
-For centuries Jews have made the difficult pilgrimage to Palestine and go directly to the Western Wall (Kotel ha- Ma’aravi
-For centuries, when the wall was under Muslim control, it was used as a garbage dump-site and was treated horribly
-The wall is now back to being available for worship and is better respected
-Jews only visit the wall on special occasions or when they have deep personal issues
-It was given back to the Jews at the end of the 1967 War.
-All of these aspects of the wall relate to The Kaaba
-The religion lost control of the sacred place
-It was disrespected when it was taken over
-It is the most important holy site in the religion
-It was returned to the religion (taken back forcefully)
-Jews attempt to take a pilgrimage to the location at least once in their lives
