K A'BAH. — A building of grey stone, situated in the middle of the sacred precinct of Mecca, having the form of a cube (k. = "die"). Two walls are 12 m. long, the other two about 10 m.; height 15 m. A door opens in the north-east wall. The building rests on a marble base 25 cm. high and projecting 30 cm.
Inside there are three wooden columns supporting the roof. In the east corner, 1.50 m. from the ground, is fixed a black stone of lava or basalt, measuring about 30 cm. in diameter. The walls of the KA'BAH are covered with a black brocade drape (kiswah), with embroidered inscriptions in silver and gold; this is replaced during the annual pilgrimage with a white drape, which hangs down to 2 m. from the ground.
A pagan place of worship before Islam, many other idols and fetishes were venerated there. In the year 2 of the Hegira, Muḥammad (v.) adapted the veneration of the KA'BAH to Islam, declaring it the first sanctuary erected by Abraham and Ishmael (Qur'an, 2:121) and ordering that prayer be directed towards it (ibid., 2:139). At the conquest of Mecca (year 8 of the Hegira), he purified it of idols and fetishes, except for the Black Stone.
The KA'BAH, like the surrounding buildings, is at the centre of the rites of the pilgrimage (v. ISLAM).