What is the black cube in Mecca?
What is the black cube in Mecca? The Kaaba, meaning cube in Arabic, is a square building, elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil. Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is the holiest shrine in Islam.
What is the purpose of the Black Stone in Mecca?
According to tradition, this stone was given to Adam on his expulsion from paradise in order to obtain forgiveness of his sins. Legend has it that the stone was originally white but has become black by absorbing the sins of the countless thousands of pilgrims who have kissed and touched it.
Can Christians go to Mecca?
In Mecca, only Muslims are allowed, while non-Muslims may not enter or pass through. Attempting to enter Mecca as a non-Muslim can result in penalties such as a fine; being in Mecca as a non-Muslim can result in deportation.
What is inside the black cube in Mecca?
The interior contains nothing but the three pillars supporting the roof and a number of suspended silver and gold lamps. During most of the year the Kaaba is covered with an enormous cloth of black brocade, the kiswah.
Who built the black cube in Mecca?
The Kaaba was a sanctuary in pre-Islamic times. Muslims believe that Abraham (known as Ibrahim in the Islamic tradition), and his son, Ismail, constructed the Kaaba.
Who can go inside the Kaaba?
In theory, any Muslim can enter the Kaaba. But only those who are authorized by the guardians of the monument, the Al-Shaibi family who have held the only key for 15 centuries, have this privilege. Behind the large wooden door covered with nearly 300 kg of gold is a small room with a marble floor.