The Kaabahh is the epicenter of Mecca.The cube shaped building is at the heart of the most well-known real estate in the history of mankind; it is shrouded in black and its fair share of mystery.Here are just a few things that most people may not know about the Ka’bah:

10. It has been reconstructed several times

The Ka’bah that we see today is not exactly the same Ka’bah that was constructed by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail. From time to time, it has needed rebuilding after natural and man-made disasters.

9. It used to have two doors and a window

The original Ka’bah used to have a door for entrance and another for exit. For a considerable period of time, it also had a window situated to one side. The current Ka’bah only has one door and no window.

8. It used to be multi-colored

We are so used to the Ka’bah being covered in the trademark black Kiswah with gold banding that we can’t imagine it being any other color. However, this tradition seems to have started at the time of the Abbasids (whose household color was black) and before this the Ka’bah was covered in multiple colors including green, red and even white.

7. The keys are in the hands of one family

At the time of the Prophet, each aspect to do with the rites of Hajj was in the hands of different sub-groups of the Quraish. Every one of these would eventually lose control of their guardianship of a particular rite except one.

On the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet was given the keys to the Ka’bah and instead of keeping it in his own possession; he returned them back to the Osman ibn Talha ® of the Bani Shaiba family. They had been the traditional key keepers of the Kaabah for centuries; and the Prophet confirmed them in that role till the end of time by these words:

“Take it, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.”

Whether Caliph, Sultan or King – the most powerful men in the world have all had to bow to the words of the Prophet and ask permission from this small Makkan family before they can enter the Ka’bah.

6. It used to be open to everyone

Until recently, the Ka’bah was opened twice a week for anyone to enter and pray. However, due to the rapid expansion in the number of pilgrims and other factors, the Ka’bah is now opened only twice a year for dignitaries and exclusive guests only.

Watch the video attached here to witness the doors of the Kaabah being opened (at 50 seconds) – and the simultaneous gasps of a Million people as they cry out at this auspicious moment.

5. You used to be able to swim around it

One of the problems with having the Ka’bah situated at the bottom of a valley is that when it rains – valleys tend to flood. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Mecca and the cause of a lot of trouble before the days of flood control systems and sewage. For days on end the Ka’bah would be half submerged in water. Did that stop Muslims from performing the Tawaf? Of course not. As the picture below amply shows – Muslims just started swimming around the Ka’bah.

Modern adjustments to the surrounding landscape and flood prevention techniques mean we may never see such sights again. Or will we?

4. The inside contains plaques commemorating the rulers who renovated it

For years many have wondered what it looks like inside the Ka’bah. Relying on second or third hand accounts from those who were lucky enough to enter just wasn’t satisfying enough. Then one lucky person who went inside took his camera phone in with him and Millions have seen the shaky footage online.

The interior of the Ka’bah is now lined with marble and a green cloth covering the upper walls. Fixed into the walls are plaques each commemorating the refurbishment or rebuilding of the House of Allah by the ruler of the day.

3. There are two Ka’bahs!

Directly above the Kaabah in heaven is an exact replica. This Ka’bah was mentioned in the Qur’an and by the Prophet.

The Messenger of Allah said narrating about the journey of ‘Isra and Miraaj:

“Then I was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma’mur (i.e. Allah’s House). I asked Gabriel about it and he said, This is Al Bait-ul-Ma’mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes into it daily).”

2. The Black Stone is broken

Ever wondered how the Black Stone came to be in the silver casing that surrounds it?

Some say it was broken by a stone fired by the Umayyad army laying siege to Mecca whilst it was under the control of Abdullah ibn Zubair .

However, most agree that it was most damaged in the middle ages by an extreme heretical Ismaili group from Bahrain called the Qarmatians who had declared that the Hajj was an act of superstition. They decided to make their point by killing tens of thousands of hujjaj and dumping their bodies in the well of Zamzam.

1. It’s not supposed to be a cube shape

Yes, ladies and gentleman… the most famous cube in the world actually started out shaped as a rectangle.Oh yeah, the Ka’bah was never meant to be a cube. The original dimensions of The House included the semi-circular area known as the Hijr Ismail.

When the Ka’bah was rebuilt just a few years before the Prophet received his first revelation, the Quraish agreed to only use income from pure sources to complete the rebuild. That meant no money from gambling, looting, prostitution, interest etc. In the ultimate sign of how deeply mired in wrongdoing the Jahili Quraish were, there was not enough untainted money in this very wealthy trading city to rebuild the Ka’bah to its original size and shape!