Did Wikipedia remove the word "" from the Masjid al-Haram article?

Yes. In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it "mosque in the city of mecca". Today it says "considered to be the most significant mosque in islam". We saved the article's opening paragraph at 6 moments between 2005 and 2025, and the counts come from those saved copies.

When did the Masjid al-Haram article stop using the word ""?

The word appeared 0 times in the opening at its peak in 2005. It is absent from today's opening, the part search engines quote and AI systems train on, checked against the live article on 2026-08-02.

How can I verify what Wikipedia's Masjid al-Haram article used to say?

Each snapshot on this page links the Wikipedia revision it came from, so you can open their own history and compare. We also keep our own copy of the text, which stays readable if the article changes again.

What did Wikipedia remove from the Masjid al-Haram article?

The opening as it read in 2005

Masjid al Haram The Masjid al Haram ( ) is a mosque in the city of Mecca . It is considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth and is the focal point of the hajj pilgrimage required of all able-bodied Muslims as one of the Five Pillars of Islam . According to Islamic tradition, the mosque was built by Ibrahim (Abraham) with the help of his son Ishmael . They were ordered by Allah to build the mosque, and the Kaaba contained therein is supposed to be a model of the house of God in heaven. The Kaaba also contains the Black Stone which supposedly fell from heaven and turned black due to man's misdeeds. The story of Ishmael and his mother's search for water also takes place in the general vicinity of the mosque. In the story, Hagar runs between the hills of Safah and Marwah looking for water for her son, until God eventually reveals to her the Zamzam Well , from where water continues to flow to this day. The episode of Hagar's frantic search for water is emulated by Muslims as they run between the two hills whenever they visit Mecca. Outside Masjid al Haram The mosque itself has always been an important part of Arab culture. Even in pre-Islamic days it was a site for pilgrimages by pre-monotheistic Arabs, who filled the Kaaba with idols of the gods they worshipped. This episode is seen as a corruption of what the Kaaba was meant for, and the fact that they had strayed from the path of God explains why God sent Muhammad as a messenger to the people of Mecca. Muhammad's grandfather, Abu Muttalib, was a caretaker of the Kaaba, and Muhammad spent much time there in prayer and reflection. After the Hijra , Muhammad was forced to withdraw to Medina . Upon his return to Mecca years later, he ritually smashed all the idols in the Kaaba and cleansed it. This began Islamic rule over Kaaba, and the building of a mosque around it. Initially, the mosque was much smaller than it is today but, over time, it has been gradually expanded. Under the Ottomans it grew to the roughly the size of the current courtyard. Great expansion work has taken place under the Saudi regime, along with modernization efforts. The mosque was much enlargened to handle the millions of visitors it receives during the hajj. It has also been outfitted with modern conveniences such as air conditioners and escalators. The outside of the current mosque has a splendid marble facade, and it has three stories, each which can hold thousands of worshippers.¹

This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 16259625.

The opening as it stood in 2010 21 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām ( , pronounced , "The Sacred Mosque") is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Mecca , it surrounds the Kaaba , the place which Muslims worldwide turn towards while offering daily prayers and is Islam's holiest place. The mosque is also known as the Grand Mosque . The current structure covers an area of 4,008,020 square metres (990.40 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to four million Muslim worshippers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 370486169.

The opening as it stood in 2015 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

The Masjid al-Ḥarām ( , literally "the sacred mosque"), also called the Sacred Mosque , and the Grand Mosque or Great Mosque of Mecca , is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam 's holiest place, the Kaaba , in the city of Mecca , Saudi Arabia . Muslims face in the direction of the Kaaba while performing obligatory daily prayers . One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so, including circumambulation of the Kaaba. The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres (88.2 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to two million worshippers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world. Saudi Arabia starts major expansion of Grand Masjid in Mecca "The 40 Steps Towards the Grave of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه وسلم .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 669326023.

The opening as it stood in 2020 5 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

The Great Mosque of Mecca , commonly known as al-Masjid al-Ḥarām ( ), is a mosque that surrounds the Kaaba in the city of Mecca , in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia . It is a site of pilgrimage for the Hajj , which every Muslim must do at least once in their lives if able, and is also the main phase for the ʿ Umrah , the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, including the Black Stone , the Zamzam Well , Maqam Ibrahim , and the hills of Safa and Marwa . The Great Mosque is the largest mosque in the world, and one of the largest buildings in the world by footprint area. The Great Mosque has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years. It has passed through the control of various caliphs , sultans and kings, and is now under the control of the King of Saudi Arabia who is titled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques . John Wiley and Sons . Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions . Quran 3:97 "Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster" .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 963852287.

The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Islam's holiest mosque located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia Masjid al-Haram ( ), also known as the Grand Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca , is a mosque enclosing the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca , in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia . It is a site of pilgrimage in the Hajj , which every Muslim must do at least once in their lives if able, and is also the main phase for the ʿ Umrah , the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, including the Black Stone , the Zamzam Well , Maqam Ibrahim , and the hills of Safa and Marwa . As of August 2020, the Great Mosque is both the largest mosque in the world, and the most expensive building in the world. It has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years. It has passed through the control of various caliphs , sultans and kings, and is now under the control of the King of Saudi Arabia who is titled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques . Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions . Quran 3:97 "Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster" .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1178691184.

The opening as it stood in 2025

Islam's holiest mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia Masjid al-Haram ( Arabic : ٱَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَام ‎ , romanized : al-Masjid al-Ḥarām , lit. ' The Sacred Mosque ' ), also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca , is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam . It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca , in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia . It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with the Hajj , which every Muslim must perform at least once in their lives if able. It is also the main site for the performance of ʿ Umrah , the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as the Black Stone , the Zamzam Well , Maqam Ibrahim , and the hills of Safa and Marwa . As of 2025, the Great Mosque is both the largest mosque in the world, and the most expensive building in the world. It has undergone major renovations and expansions through the years. It has passed through the control of various caliphs , sultans and kings, and is now under the control of the King of Saudi Arabia who is titled the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques . Sainthood: Its Manifestations in World Religions . Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World . Quran 3:97 "Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster" .

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1297060001. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.

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