At the centre
Al-Masjid al-Haram stands in the centre of Makkah al-Mukarramah, in what is known as the central area. Its name speaks of sanctity, for fighting is forbidden within its grounds. At its heart is al-Kaaba al-Musharrafa, the Qibla towards which Muslims turn in prayer, and which the Quran describes as the first house established for mankind.
The Black Stone, set in silver in the Kaaba's southeastern corner about 1.5 m above the ground, marks the beginning and end of Tawaf. East of the Kaaba lies the Zamzam Well, its opening now in a basement below the Mataf, while the stone of Maqam Ibrahim has been kept under a glass cover since 1967, in the reign of King Faisal.
A century of Saudi care
King Abdulaziz's first work after entering Makkah in 1924 was the restoration of the Grand Mosque. Under King Saud, work began in 1955 on an expansion completed under Kings Faisal and Khalid: it gave the Mas'a between Safa and Marwa two floors and added seven minarets, each 89 m high.
In 1979 King Khalid had the Kaaba door replaced with one made of 280 kg of pure gold. King Fahd laid the foundation stone of a further expansion in 1989, and the expansion begun under King Abdullah and inaugurated by King Salman, the largest in the mosque's history, added outer courtyards, walkways, tunnels and service areas.