The frontispiece of an Arabic atlas with Mecca as the center of the world. Around the edge of the circle are the names of all the Islamic countries, with lines showing their orientation relative to the Kaaba. The Kaaba is a cube-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Koran states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham and his son Ishmael. All Muslims face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. The frontispiece dates from 958, published in 1551.