Masjid Al-Haram (Kaaba in Mecca) / المسجد الحرام

The Kaaba (ٱلْكَعْبَة)‎, sometimes referred to as Al-Ka’bah Al-Musharrafah (ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة‎), is a building at the center of Islam's most important Mosque, the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, at Saudi Arabia. It is one of the most sacred of sites, in Islam. It is considered by Muslims to be the Bayt Allah (بَيْت ٱللَّٰه‎, or: 'House of God'), and is the Qibla (قِبْلَة‎, direction of prayer) for Muslims around the world, when performing Salah (daily Prayers).
Circling of the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise, is known as Tawaf (طواف‎, or: tawaaf), it is an obligatory rite for the completion of the #Hajj, and Umrah for Pilgrimages.
The area around the Kaaba on which pilgrims circumambulate, is called the Mataaf.
The Kaaba was rebuilt several times throughout history, most famously by Prophet Ibrahim (#Abraham) and his son Prophet Ismail (#Ishmael), when he returned to the Valley of Mecca, several years after leaving his wife Hajar (Hagar), and Ismail there upon Allah's Command.
Muslims initially considered Jerusalem as their Qibla, or prayer direction, and faced toward it while offering prayers; however, pilgrimage to the Kaaba was considered a religious duty, though its rites were not yet finalized. Until the first half of Prophet Muhammad's time, while he was at Mecca, he and his followers were severely persecuted, which eventually led to their migration to Medina, around 622 CE.
Then in 624 CE, the direction of the Qibla was changed, from the Masjid Al-Aqsa, located near the Temple Mount ('Har HaBáyit'; "Mount of the House - of God) to the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, with the revelation of Surah 2, verse 144.