A report on Masjid al-Haram and Grand Mosque seizure

Aerial view of the Great Mosque of Mecca
Saudi soldiers fighting their way into the Ka'aba underground beneath the Grand Mosque of Mecca, 1979.
The Kaaba
Smoke rising from the Grand Mosque during the assault on the Marwa-Safa gallery, 1979.
The Black Stone
Surviving insurgents in custody of Saudi authorities (c. 1979).
Maqam Ibrahim's crystal dome
Surviving insurgents in custody of Saudi authorities (c. 1979).
Mount Marwah within the mosque
Mount Safa
The well of Zamzam located beneath the floor (entrance now covered)

The Grand Mosque seizure occurred during November and December 1979 when extremist insurgents calling for the overthrow of the House of Saud took over Masjid al-Haram, the holiest mosque in Islam, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

- Grand Mosque seizure

On 20 November 1979, the Great Mosque was seized by extremist insurgents who called for the overthrow of the Saudi dynasty.

- Masjid al-Haram
Aerial view of the Great Mosque of Mecca

1 related topic with Alpha

Overall

Mecca

0 links

City and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam.

City and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam.

Panorama of Mecca, 1845, from the Khalili Collection of Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage
The area surrounding the Haram Shareef.
The Hajj involves pilgrims visiting Al-Haram Mosque, but mainly camping and spending time in the plains of Mina and Arafah
Jabal al-Nour, the mountain atop which is the Hira cave, where it is believed Muhammad received his first revelation.
The Quran Gate
Mecca as seen from the International Space Station
The al-'Aziziyah district of Mecca
Kaaba in July 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions.
Al-Haram Mosque and the Kaaba
Kaaba during expansion in 2013
Hajj terminal
Entry Gate of Mecca on Highway 40
Mecca Metro Route Map
Mecca, {{circa}} 1718 CE
Mecca, c. 1778 CE
Mecca, in the 1880s
Mecca in 1910
Pilgrims surround the Ka'bah in 1910
Makkah Al Mukarramah Library (21.425°N, 39.83°W) is believed to stand on the spot where Muhammad was born, so it is also known as Bayt al-Mawlid

The Great Mosque of Mecca, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is home to the Ka'bah, believed by Muslims to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael.

On 20 November 1979, two hundred armed dissidents led by Juhayman al-Otaibi, seized the Grand Mosque, claiming the Saudi royal family no longer represented pure Islam and that the Masjid al-Haram and the Ka'bah, must be held by those of true faith.