What lies beneath the Haram? Who holds the key to the Ka’bah? Explore the hidden infrastructure, immense wealth, and sacred laws that define modern Makkah.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
11. The Haram Has Underground Levels
When most people picture Masjid al-Haram, they imagine a single open courtyard surrounding the Ka’bah, filled with worshippers performing tawaf.
Of course, if you’ve been there, you’re aware that there are multiple levels for prayer, and perhaps even that tawaf can be performed on upper floors. But few people realize how much of the Haram exists below ground.
Beneath the marble courtyards and prayer halls lies an extensive underground network that serves as the hidden infrastructure of the masjid. This includes pedestrian tunnels, service corridors, and carefully designed access routes that guide the movement of millions of worshippers. It also includes climate-controlled prayer areas, circulation corridors, and wudu facilities that provide relief from the intense desert heat while allowing the steady flow of people to continue.
There is yet another level below that. Here are found essential systems that most visitors never see. These include water storage and pumping systems, maintenance and service areas, and the infrastructure that supports the distribution of Zamzam. The Zamzam system itself operates largely through underground networks, where water is stored, cooled, treated, and pumped throughout the Haram.
In addition, security services are found underground. These include emergency services stations as well as surveillance stations operated by Saudi security services, which monitor the feeds from the extensive network of cameras around the Haram. This is done to prevent security threats, obviously, but also for the safety of the pilgrims, to prevent overcrowding that could lead to trampling, for example. This security layer also includes holding areas where people may be detained for lost documentation, disturbances and safety violations. This may sound ominous, but it’s normal and expected. At busy times, the Haram contains as many people as a good-sized city. And like any city, it requires police and emergency services.
This subterranean world is not something most pilgrims ever encounter. And yet, without it, the Haram as we know it could not function.
Above ground, the experience is one of openness, light, and movement. Below ground, it is structure, engineering, and control. Together, they form a system capable of supporting one of the largest and most concentrated gatherings of human beings on earth.
Despite the Haram’s size and complexity, the purpose remains simple. Every element of the structure, whether seen or unseen, exists to shelter, sustain, and serve those who come to worship. No matter where you stand within the Haram, whether close to the Ka’bah or deep within its lower levels, you are standing in sacred space.
12. Land in the Central Area of Makkah Is Among the Most Expensive in the World
Ever fantasized about owning a little apartment in Makkah, within sight of the Haram, where you could stay whenever you go to ‘Umrah? Better check your bank balance first. Land in the central area of Makkah, especially within walking distance of the Haram, is among the most valuable real estate on earth.
Across the city as a whole, purchase prices vary widely, but average residential properties range from roughly 5,000 to 15,000 Saudi riyals per square meter ($1,350 to $4,050 USD). In more desirable areas, those figures more than double, depending on proximity to Masjid al-Haram.
Apartments with views of the Haram, particularly in developments like Jabal Omar or the Abraj Al Bait complex, can exceed 3 million riyals (over $810,000 USD). That $810K would likely get you a modest two bedroom 1 bath with a compact kitchen. So yeah, pretty pricey.
This places prime real estate in central Makkah in a range comparable to New York, Paris, or Hong Kong.
Rental prices tell a similar story. While modest apartments farther from the Haram may rent for under 20,000 riyals per year ($5,400 USD), properties closer to the center command far higher prices, especially during Hajj and Ramadan when short-term demand surges dramatically.
Unlike most global cities, however, the value of land in Makkah is not driven primarily by business, finance, or industry. It is driven by proximity to a single point: the Ka’bah.
The closer a building stands to the Haram, the greater its value. Not because of views, amenities, or prestige alone, but because of what it allows. A shorter walk to prayer. More time in worship. Easier access to the sacred spaces.
In this way, the real estate market of Makkah reflects something unique. It is one of the few places in the world where land derives its value not from commerce, but from closeness to ‘ibadah. There is a certain irony in that. But in the end, the masjid is open to everyone, whether they live in a spacious luxury home or a cramped flat. All stand equal before Allah, and none is elevated over another except by taqwa.
13. The Ka’bah’s Covering Is Replaced Every Year
When I was a kid I thought that the Ka’bah itself was made of black stones. It’s not, heh heh. It’s covered in a massive cloth called the Kiswah.
Not only that, the cloth is changed every year.
The Kiswah, which envelopes the Ka’bah, is not merely decorative. It is a symbol of honor, reverence, and continuity, renewed annually as part of a tradition that stretches back to pre-Islamic times and was affirmed by the Prophet ﷺ and maintained by Muslim rulers for over fourteen centuries.
The Kiswah is produced in a specialized facility in Makkah, where skilled artisans work year-round to complete it. It is made of high-quality silk and weighs approximately 650 kilograms. The embroidery alone is substantial, consisting of 120 kilos of gold and silver-plated threads woven into intricate Qur’anic calligraphy.
The cost of producing the Kiswah is estimated at 20 to 25 million Saudi riyals per year ($5 to $7 million USD). Today, it is funded by the Saudi government, continuing a long-standing tradition in which Muslim rulers took responsibility for honoring the House of Allah.
The process is both artistic and deeply symbolic. Panels of cloth are woven, dyed, cut, and then assembled into a single covering that fits the Ka’bah precisely. Each element is measured and crafted with care.
Once a year, on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of ‘Arafah, the old Kiswah is removed and replaced with the new one. The change is carried out with great ceremony. The previous covering is then cut into pieces and distributed as gifts to dignitaries and institutions around the world. Some of these pieces are preserved in museums and collections, where they are treated as historical and sacred artifacts.
To the casual observer, the Ka’bah appears unchanged from year to year. But this quiet renewal is a reminder that even in a place defined by permanence, there is movement, effort, and continual devotion behind what we see.
The Kiswah is not just a cloth. It is a testament to the love, skill, and reverence that generations of Muslims have directed toward the House of Allah.
14. The Keys to the Ka’bah Have Been Held by the Same Family for Over 1,400 Years
Who holds the keys to the Ka’bah? You would probably guess the king of Saudi Arabia.
Actually, no. It may come as a surprise that the answer is not a ruler, government official, or religious authority. The keys to the Ka’bah have been held by the same family, Banu Shaybah, since before the time of the Prophet ﷺ.
When the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah at its conquest, he took possession of the Ka’bah and ordered that it be cleansed of idols. At that moment, the question arose as to who would be entrusted with its custodianship.
According to historical reports, Ali ibn Abi Talib suggested that the honor of holding the keys be given to the Prophet’s own clan, Banu Hashim.
However, the entire conquest of Makkah is a story of incredible compassion and forgiveness, and this incident was no exception. The people of Makkah had persecuted the Prophet ﷺ, killed his followers, driven him from his home, and even tried to exterminate his new community. He would have been fully within his rights to take away the honor of holding the keys, and grant it to his own clan, or to one of the honored Muhajireen, perhaps even to one who had been tortured by the Quraysh.
But he was not there to humiliate the Quraysh, lord it over them, or take away their heritage. He was there to bring them into the light of Islam and welcome them as brothers and sisters. So he called for Uthman ibn Talha, who had held the keys before the conquest – and who, in that moment, was still a mushrik – and returned the keys to him, saying:
“Take it, O family of Talha, eternally, until the Day of Judgment. None shall take it from you except an oppressor.”
That trust has endured.
Even in modern times, a specific member of the Banu Talha clan is entrusted with the key. Until recently, this role was held by Dr. Saleh bin Zain Al-Abidin Al-Shaibi, who served as the 109th generation custodian of the Ka’bah in his tribe. He was not only a key holder, but a scholar of Islamic studies and a lecturer at Umm Al-Qura University, reflecting how this role continues to be carried by individuals of knowledge and standing.
After his passing in 2024, he was succeeded by another member of the same family, continuing a chain of custodianship that stretches back more than fifteen centuries.
Over the centuries, the keys themselves have changed. Historical keys from the Abbasid, Mamluk, and especially Ottoman periods still exist today, preserved in museums and collections. Some Ottoman-era keys, dating from the 16th to 19th centuries, are large and heavily ornamented, sometimes over a foot long, engraved with Qur’anic inscriptions and the names of sultans.
I myself saw one once. I had no idea what it was until the exhibit manager told me it was an Ottoman-era key to the Ka’bah. It was much larger than I would have expected. I remember thinking, “If the key is here, how can anyone get in?”
The modern key is very different. It is smaller, simpler, and designed for function rather than display, reflecting the current structure of the Ka’bah door.
Empires have risen and fallen. Dynasties have come and gone. Even the keys themselves have changed in form and design But the trust has not.
To this day, the descendants of one family remain the custodians of the Ka’bah, holding its keys just as their ancestors did at the time of the Prophet ﷺ. It’s interesting that the city of Makkah itself has changed, with ancient sites demolished and overbuilt, but these ancient human links remain unbroken. I think there’s a message there about what matters, and what lasts.
15. Within the Haram, All Life Is Sacred
Within the boundaries of the Haram, life is treated with a level of sanctity that is difficult to find anywhere else in the world.
The Haram is not simply Masjid al-Haram itself. It is a defined sacred territory, established since ancient times, with known boundaries that extend well beyond the masjid into the surrounding valley and hills. Within this entire zone, special rulings apply.
This is not a modern rule. It is an ancient one, established by Allah and affirmed by the Prophet ﷺ. Violence is forbidden. Hunting is forbidden. Even harming animals or cutting down plants without valid reason is prohibited within this sacred precinct.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“This city was made sacred by Allah on the day He created the heavens and the earth. It is sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Judgment. Its thorns are not to be cut, its game is not to be frightened, and its lost items are not to be picked up except by one who will announce it.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
This does not mean that all human use of the land is forbidden. Farmers may harvest their crops. Gardeners may trim or cultivate plants when there is a legitimate need, such as encouraging growth or preventing harm. But unnecessary destruction is not allowed. No one may simply pluck a leaf, cut a branch, or disturb living things without cause.
Even the smallest forms of harm are restricted. A bird is not to be chased. An animal is not to be struck. A plant is not to be uprooted without need.
Walk through the Haram and you will see what this looks like in practice. Pigeons gather in large numbers, moving calmly among the crowds. Cats roam freely between rows of worshippers. They are not driven away or mistreated. They are part of the environment, protected by the same sanctity that protects the people.
In a place that receives millions of visitors, where movement is constant and space is limited, this creates a remarkable atmosphere. Despite the density and the pressure, there is an underlying expectation of restraint. You lower your voice. You watch your steps. You become conscious of your actions.
Here, the sanctity of life is not an abstract concept. It is lived, observed, and enforced, reminding every visitor that they are standing in a space set apart by Allah Himself. This is a beautiful thing, and fitting for the most sacred space in the world.
This series is complete! I hope you enjoyed reading it. I actually learned several knew things in the process of writing it, and deepened my knowledge of Makkah’s history and the Haram’s secrets. Maybe later I’ll do a “10 more things” follow-up, inshaAllah.
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Wael Abdelgawad’s novels – including Pieces of a Dream, The Repeaters and Zaid Karim Private Investigator – are available in ebook and print form on his author page at Amazon.com.
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You Are Perfectly Created
If Not You, Then Who?
The post 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Makkah and the Ka’bah [Part 3] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.
