Masjid al-Haram
The Sacred Mosque around the Kaaba — the largest mosque in the world, holding the Kaaba, the Zamzam well and the Mas'a of Safa and Marwah.
- Where: about 130 m from Masjid al-Haram in a straight line, on its north side (21.42360, 39.82660)
- City: Makkah
History
In the Prophet's ﷺ time the sanctuary was an open courtyard around the Kaaba, ringed by the houses of Makkah. The second caliph Umar bought and cleared those houses and built the first enclosing wall (638 CE); Uthman added a covered arcade. The Abbasid caliphs enlarged it greatly in the 8th and 9th centuries, and the Ottomans gave it the ring of arcades and small domes that survived into the 20th century.
The Saudi expansions transformed it: the first (1955–1973) built the great Mas'a and the surrounding halls; the second, under King Fahd (1988–2005), added the western wing with the King Fahd Gate and the two tall minarets; the third, begun in 2008 under King Abdullah, widened the Mataf, built the multi-level northern halls and raised the mosque's capacity to well over a million worshippers.
Today the mosque has more than a hundred numbered gates, escalators and lifts to the roof, prayer halls on several levels and thousands of Zamzam dispensers.
What to do there
- Enter with the right foot and the dua for entering a mosque; the Sunnah greeting for this mosque is Tawaf, so pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid only if you do not intend Tawaf.
- Umrah in order: Tawaf → two rak'ahs → Zamzam → Sa'i between Safa and Marwah (seven lengths, starting at Safa) → halq or taqsir.
- Drink Zamzam facing the qibla, in three breaths, with dua: "the water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for".
- Pray the five prayers in congregation; arrive well before the adhan for a place near the Kaaba.
Tips for pilgrims
- Remember the gate you entered through and the nearest hotel: the mosque is enormous and exits look alike. This app's "Take me back to my hotel" uses your hotel's nearest gate.
- Women's prayer areas are marked; some gates are women-only or men-only at prayer times (the map shows gate status).
- Toilets and ablution halls are outside the mosque, below the courtyards; wheelchairs are lent free at several gates.
- Leave shoes in a bag you carry — shoe racks fill up and are far from where you may exit.
- Lost? The information desks and the Haram guides (in green vests) speak several languages; the Bangla-speaking helpers are usually near the King Fahd and King Abdulaziz gates during the season.
Nearby places
- Kaaba — 130 m away
- Abraj Al Bait — 540 m away
- Haramain Railway Station (Makkah) — 3.9 km away
- Jabal al-Nour — 4.9 km away
Sources
Open Masjid al-Haram on the UmrahMap 3D map for walking or driving directions, or see all Ziyarah places in Makkah.
Text by the UmrahMap content team from the sources listed; updated 2026-09-25. This text is still being reviewed by scholars. Visiting rules and opening hours can change — check locally.
UmrahMap is made by UmrahCore, Umrah and Hajj management software for travel agencies.
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