At the centre of Islam, both geographically and spiritually, stands the (ka’ba). The (mihrab) of every mosque is aligned with it, and to it every Muslim turns to pray; thus the whole of Islam can be seen as a wheel with spokes radiating from the (ka’ba) but as well as this horizontal axis there is a vertical one, that of the spirit. At the (ka’ba) the two intersect, so that it is the only non-directional religious building in the Muslim world. The circular motion of the rite of the circumambulation (one of the requirements of the (hajj)) is visible here not only in the movements of the pilgrims round the (ka’ba) but in the lines inscribed on the pavement. In the distance can be seen a mosque whose (mihrab) must be the closest of all physical goal.

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