Here stands Masjid Roqayyah Bamkos a testament to faith in Mecca. What stories do its walls hold? What echoes of prayers linger in its halls? This city, since ancient times, has drawn countless souls. Mecca’s significance blooms from prophets and the Holy Kaaba. Masjid Roqayyah Bamkos stands as a serene landmark. It offers solace to those on Hajj and Umrah.
Mecca is not just a modern metropolis. It is a living chronicle of Islamic heritage. The city embraces pilgrims seeking spiritual enrichment. They explore the mosques in Makkah. They seek to connect with history. They also deepen their faith.
Consider the Great Mosque of Mecca. Known also as al-Masjid al-Haram. It encircles the Kaaba. The Kaaba is Islam’s holiest shrine. Every year, millions of worshippers come to visit the Great Mosque of Mecca. It is a central destination for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. Its oldest sections date back to the 16th century.
The Great Mosque’s structure is a rectangular courtyard. Covered prayer areas surround it. Pilgrims perform the tawaf here. They circumambulate the Kaaba. Two sacred sites lie within the courtyard. The Station of Abraham holds a stone linked to the Kaaba’s rebuilding. The Zamzam well is a sacred spring.
To the east and north of the Great Mosque, Al-Safa and Al-Marwah stand. These small hills are where pilgrims perform the sa’y ritual. They walk or run between them. An enclosed passageway connects the hills, added in the 20th century.
The Great Mosque of Mecca evolved over centuries. Before Islam, the Kaaba was a shrine for Arab polytheists. The Prophet Muhammad’s followers also revered the Kaaba. After the Muslims migrated to Medina in 622 CE, they first prayed toward Jerusalem. Later, a revelation directed them to face the Kaaba. In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca. He destroyed the idols in the shrine. He cleansed it of polytheistic symbols.
The first Muslim structure was a wall around the Kaaba. Umar ibn al-Khattab built it in 638. Later caliphs added ceilings and columns. They made decorative enhancements to the Great Mosque. The Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi rebuilt and expanded the mosque between 775 and 785. He moved the outer walls to center the Kaaba. The mosque suffered fire and flood damage and was rebuilt in the 14th century. In 1571, Ottoman Sultan Selim II commissioned Sinan to improve the building. Sinan replaced the flat roof with domes. These Ottoman features are the oldest remaining parts.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Great Mosque was modernized. Electric lighting arrived during Hussein ibn Ali’s reign. An electric public address system was installed in 1948. Massive expansions occurred in the late 20th century. Increased air travel brought more pilgrims. Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth funded these projects. King Saud initiated the first Saudi enlargement in 1955. Completed in 1973, it expanded the area from 27,000 to 152,000 square meters. The capacity increased to 500,000 worshippers. The passageway between Al-Safa and Al-Marwah was integrated.
King Fahd started another expansion in 1984. The number of Hajj pilgrims exceeded one million. Buildings were razed to create a paved area. Escalators, tunnels, and passageways were added. A modern communications system was constructed. Air-conditioning was installed. After the enlargement, the mosque had 356,800 square meters. It could hold up to 820,000 worshippers.
Masjid Roqayyah Bamkos, like other mosques in Mecca, stands as a beacon. It reflects the enduring faith and history of this sacred city. It connects to the grand narrative of Islam. It invites reflection and reverence.