One thing that muslims do is that in north america when they pray is that they always pray to the east. now many wonder why they do this and some know simply that they are facing mecca (makkah) but what few people know but may have seen on tv or on documentaries is that they are not only facing the holy city but that they are also facing the Ka'bah. The Ka'bah is beleived to be the first building in which man may honor god or Allah [swt, glory be to Him] built by the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ishmael. This structure has been said to have been rebuilt due to aging and damage about 12 times. the prophet muhammed was able to praticipate in one of these reconstructions. There is also a black stone on the Ka'bah that is said to have fallen from heaven and at the time it was white as snow but the sins of mankind turned the stone black. this stone is in a silver casting on the eastern facing wall of the Ka'bah.
During the Hajj millions of Muslims face this small structure and pray. One thing i would like to stress is that these muslims are not worshiping the building while praying but they are simply using the Ka'bah as a sort of shrine to god or center focal point to which they pray, it is not the structure its self they are worshiping or praying to. it is also said in the Quaran that at the end of days all muslims should come to this place and that all the world will be in panic except for the people in this place. During the Hajj many muslims pray at Muhammed's Mosque that surrounds the Ka'bah and while they all do their 5 times daily prayers the people right around the Ka'bah walk in circles around the small building. there are a few different reasons why they do this but it is very symbolic as to the rotation of the earth.
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