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The Ka'ba at Mecca
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Originally built by Abraham and his son Ishmael at the site where Abraham journeyed to sacrifice his son, around 1700-2000 BCE, and then re-consecrated by Muhammad in 630 CE, the Ka'ba is the most sacred place in Islamic religion. Five times each day, devout Muslims direct their prayers toward Mecca and the Ka'ba. As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, each Muslim is to commit to the Hajj and pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her life time. Nearly 3 million Muslims converge at Mecca each year for the Hajj.
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The Black Stone is located at the eastern corner of the Ka'ba. Contact with this sacred object will confer baraka, a divine blessing on the pilgrim. Many Muslims believe that the Stone fell from Heaven during the time of Adam and Eve, and that it was once a pure and dazzling white, but has turned black because of the sins it has absorbed over the years. Non-Islamic historians point to the baetylus, or meteorite worship, in pre-Islamic Arabia, and say it is likely that the Stone is a meteorite. Some say that the Stone was found by Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail) when they were searching for stones with which to build the Ka'ba. They recognized its worth and made it one of the building's cornerstones. It was also said that the stone was given to Ishmael by the Archangel Gabriel.