From the beginning of the twentieth century onwards, the Masjid al-Haram began to fall apart from the historical buildings and positions it had held for centuries. Yet, each of these historical structures had deep meanings and the precious memories of the caliphs and sultans who were honored to serve the Masjid al-Haram. Now, we are taking you to the Masjid al-Haram of 1880 and introducing you to positions that are no longer there today…
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Beni Shaiba Gate to Mecca
Until 40 years ago, the "Beni Shayba" gate, which was the starting point of the tawaf, was located to the east of the Kaaba, a little behind the Maqam-i Ibrahim and near the Zamzam well. The Beni Shayba gate, which is a kind of single arched arch built on two stone columns, takes its name from Shayba bin Osman (may Allah be pleased with him), who belonged to the family that undertook the duty of keeping the keys of the Kaaba (the Hijab). Before the conquest of Mecca, the house of Hazrat Shayba was exactly where this arch is.
In 781, during the expansion of the Masjid al-Haram by the Abbasid caliph Mahdi, this house was demolished and a gate was opened in its place. The newly opened gate was named Beni Shayba because of the sacred memories it contained. The gate, which was renovated during the Mamluk period, was frequently decorated during the Ottoman period.
In the photographs of Mecca in the Yıldız Albums of Sultan Abdulhamid II, there was a gold-plated finial on the arch, which immediately attracted attention.
The verse “Enter here in safety and security” (Al-Hijr, 46) was inscribed on the upper part of the arch and under the crescent. The verse “O my Lord, grant me to enter here with truthfulness and to depart from here with truthfulness. Give me from You a helping power” (Isra, 80) was inscribed on the marble inscription section and gilded with gold water. The verse “Peace be upon you. You are welcome. Enter here immediately, to abide forever” (Az-Zumar, 73) was engraved on the side of the door facing the Kaaba. In addition, the names of the Prophet and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs were inscribed on marble medallions and placed on the four corners of the arch.
This gate has a special importance because our Prophet (pbuh) entered the Masjid al-Haram from the side where the Banu Shayba gate is located. In the old days, people who intended to perform Tawaf would enter the Tawaf area from the Banu Shayba gate and make a half-circle around the House of Allah. During this time, spiritual preparations for Tawaf were made by repenting and istighfar, while the intention for Tawaf was recited. When they came across the Black Stone, they would start Tawaf by reciting the takbir and making the dhikr. Performing Tawaf in the mentioned manner is the Sunnah of our Prophet (pbuh).
Due to the expansion of the circumambulation area, the Beni Shayba Gate was dismantled in 1979, and its flag with its marble inscriptions and medallions of high artistic value was preserved in the Mecca Museum.
Pulpit of Masjid al-Haram
In the early days, there was no pulpit in the Masjid al-Haram. Imams would read Friday and Eid sermons by climbing up to the Hijr-i Ismail wall. A stepped pulpit made of wood was used for the first time in the Abbasid period.
In 1558, Suleiman the Magnificent gifted the marble pulpit he had meticulously prepared in Istanbul to the Masjid al-Haram. This work, which has an unparalleled beauty in the world and was meticulously prepared by palace masters, was placed in a suitable spot so as not to hinder those circumambulating the Kaaba.
The pulpit, which had reached Egypt from Istanbul and from there to Jeddah, had finally reached its real location after a long journey. On the western side of the monumental pulpit facing the Kaaba, there was an inscription that read, “Elhamdulillahi rabbi’l-âlemîn kad benâ Süleymanu minbera’l-beledi’l-emîn/Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, that Süleyman built the pulpit of this reliable city.” On its door, it read, “İnnehû min Süleymane ve innehû bismillahirrahmanirrahim (Neml, 30) sadakallahü celle ismuhû, senete 966.”
In 1979, during the reign of King Khalid bin Abdulaziz, the pulpit was demolished on the grounds that it was restricting the circumambulation area. Today, there are two pulpits, one made of wood and the other made of hard plastic, which are mobile. On Fridays and religious holidays, sermons are read from the pulpit, which is brought to the eastern wall of the House of Allah.
Maqam-i Ibrahim Building
During the Ottoman period, the Maqam-i Ibrahim was protected by a domed building on four pillars, surrounded by an iron cage. At the back of the building, there was a porch/canopy built for those praying. There was a distance of 15.40 meters between the Maqam-i Ibrahim building and the Kaaba.
According to the work called Mir'âtü'l-Mekke written by Eyüp Sabri Paşa, when the door of the Makâm-ı İbrahim building was opened, the Meccans would enter and pour Zamzam-i Şerif into the hollow where the blessed footprints of Hazrat-i İbrahim were located and drink it as a blessing. The neighbors, who saw the sick recovering and the afflicted receiving their cures, would follow the times when the door would open very carefully.
In 1879, the director of the Harem-i Şerif, Ahmed Efendi, obtained the necessary permission from the capital and had the coffin and railings renewed. During this work, the dome of the Makâm-ı İbrahim building was also renovated.
On October 17, 1967, the structure mentioned by King Faisal was removed and replaced with the existing hexagonal glass-fronted structure, and the top was completely opened. On January 24, 1997, King Fahd changed the Maqam-i Ibrahim enclosure. In order to facilitate the passage of those performing the tawaf, this last enclosure is elliptical in shape from north to south. Its height is 3.5 meters and its width is 1.7 meters. A crystal bell jar has been placed behind the bars to show the blessed footprints to visitors.
Zamzam Sharif Building
Zamzam is the blessed water that Allah Almighty bestowed upon Hazrat Hajar and her son Hazrat Ismail. The Zamzam Well, located 21 meters east of the Kaaba, is currently located just below the tawaf area.
When the Ottomans began to undertake the service of the Haremeyn-i Şerif in 1517, they built a beautiful building on the Zamzam-i Şerif well. Fountains were placed around this structure. There were marble inscriptions on the fountains, which contained hadiths related to Zamzam-i Şerif. Thanks to the marble well collar built by Suleiman the Magnificent, the water of Zamzam could be climbed onto and drawn by the cupbearers using pulleys. Since people fell into the well due to unfortunate accidents, Sultan Ahmed I had a silver railing built.
The Zamzam building took its final shape during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid I. In 1787, due to necessity, the Zamzam building was dismantled and rebuilt. While the well and its enclosure were left untouched, the building's door, window frames, railings and Zamzam-i Sharif fountains were designed in accordance with the aesthetics of the period. The 17th and 18th verses of Surah Al-Insan and the hadiths "Zamzam water is for the purpose of drinking it" and "Zamzam and the fire of hell cannot coexist in a servant" were engraved on marble plaques mounted in different parts of the Zamzam building and gilded with gold water. The name of Sultan Abdulhamid I and the Hijri date "1201" (1787) are engraved on the door and window inscriptions, and it has an extremely elegant appearance.
The above-mentioned marble bracelet, silver railing and inscriptions are currently exhibited in the Mecca Museum.
In 1955, the historical Zamzam Sharif building was removed on the grounds that it was causing congestion. Later, the work of distributing Zamzam was moved under the circumambulation area. Due to the narrowing of the circumambulation area, the idea of completely taking the Zamzam well underground was first discussed in 1963.
In 1979, the sacred well was moved to a separate area on the ground floor, and its entrance was made near the eastern portico. In those years, those who would visit Zamzam Sharif would go down the stairs and see the well easily. The section leading to the well was completely closed in 2001 due to the crowds. Today, only those on duty can see the well, and Zamzam Sharif continues to be distributed in thermuses placed in many places in the Masjid al-Haram.
The Stations of the Four Sects
Special stations were built over time in four different places of the Masjid al-Haram for the four major sects of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah creed, and these were called "Mawaqif al-Aimme".
Masjid al-Haram is the largest mosque on earth, but due to the large number of congregations and the fact that the roof was open, a single imam was not enough. In addition, due to different ijtihads regarding the most virtuous times of prayers, each sect imam led his own congregation in prayers in the Kaaba.
The practice of performing daily prayers in separate congregations in the Masjid al-Haram was ended in 1924 during the reign of King Abdulaziz bin Saud. Unfortunately, nothing has survived to the present day from these structures, each of which has an extremely rich workmanship in terms of art and aesthetics.
Maliki Maqam
This structure, located between the Damascus and Yemen corners to the west of the Kaaba, was a canopy built on four columns. It was rebuilt by the Mamluk Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Ferec and allocated to the Maliki imams. In the middle of the structure, there was a mihrab in the early periods, but this mihrab was removed in later renovations. It was given its final form during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz. It was demolished in 1956 due to the expansion of the circumambulation area.
Shafi'i Maqam
It was located to the east of the Kaaba and behind the Maqam-i Ibrahim. It was repaired and rebuilt by the Mamluk Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Ferec in 1405. The Shafi'i maqam was renovated in 1540 during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent and in 1635 during the reign of Sultan Murad IV. It was dismantled together with the Maqam-i Ibrahim by King Faisal on 17 October 1967.
Hanbali Maqam
It was a single arched structure built on two stone columns during the reign of the Mamluk Sultan Ferec, but later it was designed as a columned canopy. The Hanbali maqam, which was renewed in every period, took its final form with the renewal of its roof during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz. This structure, which was previously opposite the Hacer al-Aswad, was moved between the Yemen corner and the Hacer al-Aswad in 1884 during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II. Like the other maqams, this was also demolished in 1956 due to the expansion of the tawaf area.
Hanafi Maqam
It was located to the north of the Kaaba, opposite Altınoluk, a little behind the tawaf area. It was first built in 1399 by the Mamluk Sultan Berkuk. The Hanafi maqam was built on four stone columns during this period and was covered. There was a marble mihrab between the two columns in front. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, it was built in two floors in 1540 and the upper floor was reserved for the muezzins so that the congregation could hear the takbirs more easily.
Unlike other madhhab maqams, the Hanafi maqam was built as a double-story and larger. Due to the hot climate, both floors were designed as open, and ebony railings were placed around it. During the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz, the Hanafi maqam was repaired, and the pillars on the west and east sides were raised, turning the existing two arches into a single arch. The building was demolished in 1956 during the expansion of the tawaf area.
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