According to Muslim tradition the Ka'ba was built by Ibrahim and Ismail and was the first sanctuary established on earth. This early building was simply a rectangular unroofed enclosure the height of a man. Idols were housed within the Ka'ba, the most prominent of whom were al-Lat, al-Uzza and al-Manat. Three hundred and sixty idols were arranged in a circle outside the Ka'ba forming a sacred area (Haram) where no blood could be shed. In the time of Muhammad the old Ka'ba was burnt down and it was rebuilt with the help of a man called Baqum. This new Ka'ba was built of alternate layers of stone and wood, possibly in a similar fashion to traditional Meccan houses. The height of the building was doubled and it was covered with a roof. The entrance to the building was some distance from the ground and a ladder was needed to enter it. Muhammad is said to have placed the Black Stone in its position with the help of the main tribal leaders.

In 629 after a period of exile Muhammad conquered Mecca but left the form of the Ka'ba unaltered (except for the removal of idols). In 683 during the conflict between Abd Allah Ibn Zubayr and the Umayyads the Ka'ba was destroyed by stones hurled by catapults. After the Umayyads withdrew the Ka'ba was rebuilt on a larger scale with two doors. This Ka'ba was subsequently destroyed by the Umayyad general Hajjaj bin Yusuf who rebuilt it in its previous form with only one door. This is essentially the form of the present Ka'ba although the Black Stone was removed for a period of twenty years by the Qarmathians in 929. Flood damage in 1611 necessitated its rebuilding in 1630, although the old form of the building was retained. A continuous feature of the Ka'ba's history, at least from Muhammad's time, is that the outside of the structure is covered with a huge cloth of fabric (kiswa) which is replaced annually. During the first years of Islam the old covers were not removed and new covers were placed on top. This practice was stopped in the Umayyad period as the weight of cloths was thought to threaten the stability of the Ka'ba. [hide description]