At Macca the pre-600 AD market place of the town became the holy shrine of Islam. In the centre of the huge square is the black marble shrine called the ka'abah, which is the focal point of the pilgrims' journey. The ka'abah contains an Islamic holy relic, which is actually a piece of meteoric iron. However the pilgrimage (or hajj) requires visits to several other places of devotion immediately outside the town to be complete.