King Abdulaziz Gate

King Abdulaziz Gate marks the main western entrance to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, named for the ruler who wired the mosque for electricity, laid its marble floors, and wrote its ongoing expansion into his will before he died. This guide follows his building program through the early twentieth century and the gate's own history, including its rebuilding from twin Ottoman-style minarets to today's plain square facade. Pause at the threshold before stepping through.