The
Masjid al-Ḥarām (, literally "the sacred mosque"), also called the
Sacred Mosque, and the
Grand Mosque or
Great Mosque of Mecca, is the largest
mosque in the world and surrounds
Islam's holiest place, the
Kaaba, in the city of
Mecca,
Saudi Arabia. Muslims face in the
Qibla (direction of the Kaaba) while performing
Salat (obligatory daily prayers). One of the
Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the
Hajj pilgrimage, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world, at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so, including
Tawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba.