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| Circumambulating the Kaaba (Mardetanha) |
For Muslims the world over, the heart of Mecca is the Kaaba.
The Quran attributes the construction of the original Kaaba to Abraham and Ishmael. Islamic
scholars estimate that this occurred circa 2130. The Kaaba would thus be the oldest mosque in history, “more than a millennium older than Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.”
Old-timers in today's Mecca remember the days when the neighborhood around the Kaaba consisted mostly of old homes, small businesses, historic sites and rocky hills. In recent times, hills have been leveled and replaced with towering luxury hotels.
Although some say that this makeover was necessary in order to accommodate more and more Hajj pilgrims, others say that capital gain is the real driving force. The five-star hotels attract wealthy
clients, who in turn shop at the international-chain stores that now also abound nearby.
The deliberate destruction of holy sites within the neighborhood has been attributed to the influence of Wahhabism, “the strict, puritanical interpretation of Islam that the Al Saud rulers elevated to the country’s official doctrine.” Wahhabism teaches that such sites “should be destroyed to avoid veneration of anything other than God.”
Resources
http://wwrn.org/articles/43473/?&place=asia-pacific
Copyright October 4, 2014 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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