Wednesday, 2 October 2013
The Kaaba (Arabic: الكعبة
al-Kaʿbah), also known as the Sacred House (الحرام بيت Baytu l-Ḥarām) and the
Ancient House (العتيق بيت Baytu l-'Atīq), is a
cuboid building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The building is opened twice a year for
a ceremony known as "the cleaning of the Kaaba." This ceremony takes
place roughly thirty days before the start of the month of Ramadan and thirty
days before the start of Hajj. The keys to the Kaaba are held by the Banī
Shayba (بني شيبة) tribe.
Members of the tribe greet visitors to the inside of the Kaaba on the occasion
of the cleaning ceremony. A small number of dignitaries and foreign diplomats
are invited to participate in the ceremony. The governor of Mecca leads the
honoured guests who ritually clean the structure, using simple brooms. Washing
of the Kaaba is done with a mixture of water from the Zamzam Well and Persian
rosewater.
.jpg)