The Story Behind the Mysterious Second Door of the Kaaba

Recently resurfaced historic photographs of the Kaaba have reignited discussion across social media, revealing what appears to be a sealed “secret door” on the western wall of Islam’s most sacred structure. Unlike the known main entrance of the Kaaba, this mysterious feature seems to have been intentionally sealed with the same stones used in the Kaaba’s construction—prompting many to ask: What is this hidden door, and why was it closed off?

The Original Shape of the Kaaba in Ancient Times

Historians believe that when the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Prophet Ismail (Ishmael) first built the Kaaba, it had no doors, no roof, and no windows. It was a simple, walled cube—sealed from all sides—with no formal entrance.

Later, during the reign of King Tubba’, believed to have ruled Yemen and the region centuries before the advent of Islam (around the 4th century CE), two ground-level openings were introduced on opposite sides of the structure—an eastern entrance and a western exit—as mentioned in the Seerah of Ibn Hisham.

These openings, however, were not like modern doors that opened and closed. They were permanently open passages, allowing people to walk in from one side and exit from the other.

This account is also affirmed by Al-Azraqi in Akhbar Makkah, citing Ibn Jarir, who wrote:

“Tubba’ was the first to clothe the Kaaba and instructed his governors from the Jurhum tribe to purify it and create entrances for it.”

As time passed, one of the two doorways was sealed to regulate entry into the Kaaba—likely the same blocked doorway seen in the old photographs, located opposite the current main door and near the Yemeni Corner, at approximately the same elevation as today’s entrance.

The Quraysh’s Modifications Before Islam

When the Quraysh tribe assumed control over Makkah and commerce flourished, they undertook a major reconstruction of the Kaaba following a devastating flood. This is the same famous event in which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was chosen to place the Black Stone.

During this reconstruction:

• • One of the two original openings was sealed permanently

• • The main entrance (eastern side) was elevated above ground level by several feet—a change aimed at controlling access

According to hadith in Sahih sources, Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) once asked the Prophet ﷺ why the Quraysh raised the door. He replied:

“Had your people not recently abandoned disbelief, I would have demolished the Kaaba, rebuilt it on the foundations of Ibrahim, and given it two doors—one for entering and one for exiting.”

Out of concern for public sentiment and to avoid division, the Prophet ﷺ chose not to make these changes during his time.

The Kaaba’s Door in the Early Islamic Era

Historical records indicate that the wooden door of the Kaaba remained unchanged until 64 AH (683 CE) during the caliphate of Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr, who ordered:

• • The creation of a new 11-arm-length door

• • The reopening of the sealed second door, giving the Kaaba two functioning entrances

However, Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, upon retaking Makkah, reversed this renovation, reconstructing the Kaaba according to the Quraysh layout and closing the second door again.

In 1045 AH, the Kaaba’s door was redesigned with silver inlay weighing over 200 pounds and plated in gold—the first time decorative elements were added. This occurred during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Murad IV, and the door remained in use until 1356 CE.

The Ottoman Restoration and the Modern Door

In 1630 CE, during Murad IV’s reign, a massive flood in Makkah caused portions of the Kaaba’s eastern and western walls to collapse. The Ottoman Sultan commissioned Egyptian craftsmen to build a new door, modelled after the previous one, with geometric patterns inlaid in silver and gold.

That Ottoman-era door remained in use for over three centuries until it was replaced during the modern Saudi era. The door itself was preserved and is now featured in an exhibition on Arabian heritage at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.