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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology

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According to the Islamic tradition, this, the most holy of all consecrated sites for Muslim followers, was founded by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma’il. In pre-Islamic and early Islamic history, its protection was ensured by the Qur'aysh tribe of Mecca. Although the theological relevance of this Meccan holy shrine was assured in the Qur’an, it wasn’t until the period following the Hudabiyya pilgrimage (and the eventual dissolution of idol worship within the sacred space), that the Ka’ba came to be a focus of Muslim worship. In the time of the Prophet Muhammad, it was established that, rather than being performed in the direction of Jerusalem, prayer should instead be offered in the direction of the Ka’ba. Its significance is also manifest in the Islamic pillar of faith which stipulates that the Ka’ba be the destination site for the holy pilgrimage known as Hajj.