In a small valley among the mountains, hidden from the world, is Islam's holy of holies - the city of Mecca. It is to him five times a day, turning the eyes of Muslims around the globe.
In contrast to other eastern cities of Mecca was not surrounded by a wall, and a natural fence of her have always been a mountain. Through the entire city stretches wide street Massana, to which many tiers down from the mountains slip at home - big and small. Middle of the street, at the very bottom of the valley, is located the area where the mosque stands the famous Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which means "House of God." Muslims believe that in this place is the center of the universe, because it did not even land, overturned on the ground of the sky. And in the last day of the world it to heaven and back.
The territory of "Sacred Mosque" - a sacred place for Muslims around the world. Have repeatedly referred to in the second sura of the Quran: "And no matter where you came out, pay your face in the direction of the mosque, and wherever you are, turn your face toward her." The area is similar to the traditional eastern courtyard, only a very large size. It is surrounded by three, and where the four rows of columns of marble, granite and stone of the ordinary. On top of the column are connected by pointed arches and domes are covered with small white, and towering above them seven slender minarets.
Go to Mecca turned their eyes the ancient Arabs, because of their pagan gods were also in the Kaaba. This church was the true pantheon of gods and could satisfy all requests. It was centered about 360 different idols and sculptures of deified persons. Among them - the Arab gods Ilatov, Uzza, Hubal and others, the Assyrian-Babylonian Marduk, Assor, Sin, Sumas and Astarte, the Jewish patriarch Abraham and Mary with the Christ Child in her arms.
According to legend the Arabs, the Kaaba was built as an altar for prayer, the ancestor of humans Adam. Adam suffered greatly from the fact that not only lost paradise, but also the temple where he used to pray to heaven. Then God will have mercy, and a copy of the temple was lowered to the ground.
In the center is a large stone cube height of about thirteen feet with a flat roof. This is the Kaaba, once a pagan sanctuary, and now the main temple of the Muslim world.
According to one version, it was Adam's guardian angel, overlooking the stone after the fall made his charge. When the Black stone descended from heaven, he was so white and shone so that it could be seen for four days' journey to Mecca. But gradually, from the sins of the human it darkened and darkened, until he was turned to black.
The nature of the Black Stone is still unknown. Some scientists consider it a very large meteorite, other researchers see it as a big chunk of volcanic rock of unknown, because the stony Arabia is replete with many extinct volcanoes.
When in 1630, Mohammed returned to Mecca from Medina, he threw out all the pagan idols of the Kaaba, but respectfully kissed his staff to the Black Stone. But even before Muhammad preached in Mecca decided to repair the severely ramshackle Kaaba. When it was necessary to move the black stone or other place it was a dispute between the families, which one is most worthy of this sacred mission. And then Mohammed will solve this problem very clever: he spread on the floor of the Kaaba his coat, put on his black stone, and then the elders of all the noble families raised the cloak from the stone.
