Kaaba

noun

Kaa·​ba ˈkä-bə 

: a small stone building in the court of the Great Mosque at Mecca that contains a sacred black stone and is the goal of Islamic pilgrimage and the point toward which Muslims turn in praying

Examples of Kaaba in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Saudi Arabia, pilgrims have been doing the ritual circuit around the Kaaba since arriving in Mecca over recent days. — Mariam Fam, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2026

The Kaaba is empty inside, with no altar, idol or relic on display. — Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 25 May 2026

Archaeologists documented burials that followed traditional Islamic rituals; skeletons were laid with their bodies facing north and their faces turned toward the Qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. — Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025

Muslim worshippers walk around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on June 13, 2024, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. — James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025

Everywhere else on Earth, shadows cast at that time point away from the sun and in the exact direction of the Kaaba. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025

Furthermore, the Kaaba, considered one of the most sacred spots on Earth by Muslims, is in the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca. — Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 24 Mar. 2025

The Clock Tower is located right next to the Kaaba and dwarfs the sacred structure. — Ahmet T. Kuru, The Conversation, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic kaʽba, literally, cubic building

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Kaaba

• gaba

Kids Definition

Kaaba

noun

Kaa·​ba ˈkäb-ə 

: a small stone building in the court of the Great Mosque at Mecca that contains a sacred black stone and is the point toward which Muslims turn in praying