The
Ka'ba is the
qibla (direction of prayer) of Islam. It is also at the heart of the
Hajj and everyone who visits the
Haram at Mecca has to circumvent the
Ka'ba seven times as part of the prescribed pilgrimage ritual. The
Ka'ba has many names in the Islamic tradition, among them:
al-Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred
Mosque, referring to the
mosque within the precinct of the
Ka'ba) and
al-Bayt al-Atiq (the Ancient House). The
Ka'ba is an almost square structure: 9.29 m on its north side, 12.15 m on its west, 10.25 m on its south side, and 11.88 m on its east side. It is 15 m high and has only one access door on the east face that is 2 m above ground level.