ThePlace: Grand Mosque in Makkah

Hundreds of thousands of worshippers performed the third Friday prayer at the Grand Mosque during this holy month of Ramadan.

For the first time, the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques this year launched a transfer service for elderly, sick and special-needs pilgrims, with drivers transporting families and individuals to perform their rituals.

The Grand Mosque dates back to the era of Prophet Ibrahim, who built a smaller, simpler version with his son, Ismael. Now, 900,000 worshippers occupy the mosque each day, with the number rising to 4 million during the Hajj season.

In 2007, the late King Abdullah began a major extension project to raise the mosque’s capacity to 2 million. 

Near the Kaaba is the Well of Zamzam, which Muslims have used since Ibrahim’s era. Today the well still supplies many Muslims and pilgrims with Zamzam water.