In Pictures: What the Kaaba’s Interior Looks Like

In an area that does not exceed 180 meters square, the Kaaba contains three wooden columns which hold the Kaaba's ceiling.

The wood used is one of the strongest types of wood and they were put by the prophet's companion Abdullah bin Zubair.

They are more than 1,350 years old and are dark brown. The perimeter of each column is around 150 centimeters while the diameter is 44 centimeters.

Each column has a squared wooden base. Between these three columns, there is a pillar from which the Kaaba's gifts are suspended. This pillar passes through all three columns and its sides extend to the northern and southern walls.

The presidency of the two holy mosques told Al-Arabiya that the Levantine corner on the right interior side of Kaaba includes an enclosed staircase that leads to a hatch, which resembles an enclosed rectangular structure without any windows and which has a door with a special lock leading to the ceiling. On the door, there is a beautiful silk curtain that has gold and silver engravings.

The presidency also said that the floor of Kaaba is made of marble. Most of the marble is white while some of it is colored. The walls of the Kaaba's interior are made of colorful and emblazoned marble. The Kaaba's interior is covered with a red silk curtain that has white-embroidered texts which includes some of God's names. This curtain also covers the Kaaba's ceiling.

Inside the Kaaba, there are eight stones decorated with Arabic calligraphy using Thuluth script and one stone decorated with Arabic calligraphy using Kufic script. The words on the stones are made of precious, colorful pieces of marble. These were written after the 6th century AH.

On the eastern wall and between the Kaaba's door and the Baabut Taubah (door of repentance), there is the document of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud engraved on a marble board to indicate the date of renovations which the late king made to the Kaaba structure. The number of stones written on inside the Kaaba is thus a total of 10, all made of white marble.

You actually have a valid point. If Islam is allowed to carry on in the face of the ‘Great Satan’, then it is because Allah is protecting them; so they think.

It has nothing to do with America showing restraint and proportionate response.

To transform Islam requires convincing them that Allah has allowed America to destroy some of its exalted relics and sites with an eminent destruction of more of the same. They will then think Allah is displeased with them and will wonder why.

It is at this point of introspection that the Muslim adherent can be drilled that the ‘true’ Islam follower must wage the battle inside their own soul, that part of the soul that contains the infidel must be fought on the inside and never taken outside to other beings. The infidel behavior of others is never to be examined except by each person unto its own. The programming impulse to murder infidels outside oneself must be neutralized. In fact, to even question another person of their behavior to Islam is to be forbidden. It is all of it, to be contained inside each individual. There is to be no collective.

The teachings of Islam are to be considered as historical reading, not as a contemporary manifesto. The interpretation of such reading is to be sought from Islamic scholars who are aware of the dire consequences of taking up literal jihad according to the historical documents.

A destruction of an exalted site of Islam will serve as a new chapter of Islamic history that points to the horrible consequences of going against the introspective and secular approaches described above.

A current Muslim jihadist will have two choices, they can kill themselves or they can become defanged by struggling to battle the infidel that resides within them. In the latter case, the ‘peaceful Muslim’ is to be rewarded with work, family, status, and a standard of living.

All other persons originating from Muslim culture can go a secular route or convert to a belief system of their choosing, the latter of a Christian persuasion preferred.

The above is the approach of Mustafa Atatürk. If he isn’t already, he should be required reading in the War College on how to defeat Radical Islam ideology.

There is a radical wealthy Imam inside the USA who controls much of what Erdogan and others in power do in Turkey.

To me, Turkey as Asia Minor is an extension of the Holy land of the New Testament and should be returned to Christianity.

Because of its history and importance to Christianity, Constantinople has been respected as an international cosmopolitan center but that status is dissipating.

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