Ten Holy Islamic Sites Trivia Quiz

The Umayyad Mosque (Great Mosque of Damascus) is a sacred site for many reasons. Both Christians and Muslims believe that the head of Yahya ibn Zakariya (John the Baptist) is buried on the site. Originally, the site housed the temple to Hadad, the rain god of the Arameans. The Romans turned it into a temple to Jupiter (god of rain), followed by Christians who turned it into a cathedral, and finally, Muslims in the 8th century CE turned it into a holy mosque. The Umayyad Mosque is considered to be the fourth-holiest site for Sunni Muslims. Tradition holds that the family of the Prophet had to walk to this Damascus site after the battle of Karbala. The site is also holy because Islam teaches that it is where Isa (Jesus) will make his return at the end of days.

The Umayyad Mosque has been rebuilt and repaired several times over the past thousand years, but has always been one of the largest and most lavish mosques in the world. Its construction is based on a large Roman basilica, making it the first mosque of such design. Besides the intricate marble and glass mosaics, the mosque also had a water clock installed in the early 10th century CE.

The Dome of the Rock is a shrine within the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Quran tells that the Prophet took a journey from Mecca to Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem both physically and spiritually in one night. Once there, he ascended into the heavens where he prayed with the prophets and ultimately ended up in the presence of Allah. This event is considered a profound miracle for the Islamic faith and is believed to show an Earthly connection to the afterlife.

Herod the Great's temple was torn down by the Romans in 70 CE, but the stone used for the Western (Wailing) Wall was too large for the Romans to destroy. The Al-Aqsa Mosque was built on top of the ruins of Herod's Temple. Today, both the Wailing Wall and Al-Aqsa are considered sacred ground. Both Judaism and Islam believe the spot is where God/Allah created the world. Some believe it is where Abraham offered to sacrifice Isaac. Muslims believe it is where the Prophet ascended to heaven.

The Ibrahimi Mosque is listed as the fifth most sacred site to Sunni Muslims. According to ancient scriptures of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, Hebron is the final resting place of the patriarchs Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishak (Isaac), and Yaqub (Jacob).

The Ibrahimi Mosque is built over two burial caves believed to house the bones of the ancestors. The Ibrahimi Mosque claims the caves to be the longest continuously used sacred site in the world. The walls surrounding the surface area above the caves is in the Herodian style with massive stone blocks as part of its construction that were created so skillfully that no restoration has been needed to maintain the burial caves over the past 2000 years.

The Mazar Ghous Mausoleum is the resting place of Abdul Qadir Gilani, considered to be the founder of the Sufi Qadiriyya order in the 12th century CE. He was a charismatic teacher who emphasized inner purity and love for Allah. His message was inclusive, resulting in the conversion of many Christians and Jews in the region to Islam. Gilani also established the Madrashah Al-Qadiriyya school for deep Islamic studies. It is not a separate branch of Islam and can be a focus of both Sunni and Shia followers. Sufism is defined as the focus on the mystical with an emphasis on a deep desire to know and love Allah.

The Mazar Ghous complex has a mosque, a shrine, and a library. The library houses some of the oldest rare books on Islamic studies. The complex sits on the banks of the Tigris River.

Husayn ibn Ali was the grandson of the Prophet, and his martyrdom in 690 is one of the major reasons for the ideological split between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims. The Shi'ites wanted the Caliphate to remain in the Prophet's bloodline, while the Sunni wanted new Caliphs to be chosen by the community based on piousness.

The Imam Husayn shrine is located in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq. During the Muharram, many Shi'ite faithful make a pilgrimage to the shrine to commemorate the martyrdom.

The Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, is thought by Shi'ites to be the burial place of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the husband of the Prophet's daughter Fatima. Ali was one of the Prophet's first and most ardent converts to Islam. The Shi'ites believe that Ali is the first Caliph, while Sunnis consider him to be the fourth.

After Ali's murder, his followers buried him in a secret place to prevent his body from getting desecrated. It was not declared until over a hundred years later that the spot of the shrine is indeed his burial place.

Interestingly, it is also believed by Shi'ites that both Adam and Nuh (Noah) are buried at the shrine.

Fatima Masumeh was the sister of Ali al-Rida and she is considered to be a saint by the Twelver Shi'ia for her piousness. The term al-Ma'suma means "the immaculate, the infallible" in Arabic. Pilgrims who journey to her shrine often do so for cures for diseases as well as forgiveness for sins. Miracles that occur at the shrine are documented by a special office in the complex. Due to the presence of the shrine, the city of Qom has become a holy city and place of learning for Shi'ia Muslims.

The Imam Reza Shrine is the burial place of Ali al-Rida who is considered to be the eighth of the twelve divinely ordained Imams. He is renowned as a scholar with writings on everything from religious practice to medicine. Pilgrims to his shrine are said to gain relief from their sorrows and forgiveness for their sins.

The huge shrine complex, located in Mashhad, is one of the largest mosques in the world with around 25 million visitors each year.

The Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina is considered to be the second-holiest site in Islam after the Kaaba in Mecca. The mosque was originally built under the supervision of the Prophet in 622 CE. This year is considered year 1 AH in the Islamic calendar. Medina had promised tolerance for the new religion and allowed the building of the holy Mosque there.

Many pilgrims who partake in the hajj in Mecca also make their way to Medina to the Al-Masjid an-Nebawi mosque. In particular, the Green Dome is a must-visit as it has the tomb of the Prophet. Also, the first two Sunni caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, are buried at the shrine. Finally, there is also an empty tomb there for Isa (Jesus) as the faithful believe Isa will be buried there after Armageddon.

The Kaaba is the most holy Islamic site in the world, and the Quran requires all Muslims, if they are able, to make a pilgrimage to it. The belief is that the Kaaba was first built by Adam himself and then was later repaired by Ibrahim and his son Ishak. The sacred black stone embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba is believed to have been given to Adam when he was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The stone is thought to have the power to cleanse sins.

The Kaaba was a pagan pilgrimage site before the Prophet's birth, and when he conquered the city, he removed all the pagan idols that it had contained. Since the rise of Islam, the site has been renovated, and several additions have been made. The entire complex is over 40 acres now to accommodate the huge influx of pilgrims on their hajj, allowing for up to 4 million pilgrims to worship at one time. To fulfill their pilgrimage, each believer must travel around the Kaaba 7 times counterclockwise and, if possible, kiss or touch the sacred black stone. Only followers of Islam are allowed in the holy city of Mecca.