The Kaaba, which translates as "cube" in Arabic, is a square structure that is tastefully covered in a silk and cotton veil. It is the most sacred shrine in Islam, and it is situated at the center of the Great Mosque, Masjid al-Haram, near Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims revere the desire to travel there on pilgrimage, or hajj, in accordance with the Qur'anic command, and face it during the five daily prayers; bury their dead facing its meridian; and orient themselves toward this small shrine.