Book excerpt: The Unveiling Origin of Mecca provides insights into the history of Kaaba (Ka’ba) in Mecca. The Ka’ba is the first house built on earth. It is one of the few and perhaps the only Islamic History books that looks at modern archaeological evidence and the Holy Quran and the history of the Quran to explore the proper location of the Ka’ba. The author notes that in the Holy Quran, Mecca, sometimes also called Becca, which words are synonymous, and signify “a place of great intercourse,” is undoubtedly one of the most ancient cities in the world. Some authors imagine it to be the Mesa, or Mesha, of the Scripture and that it deduced its name from one of Ishmael’s sons. It stands in a stony and barren valley, surrounded by mountains under the exact parallel with the Macoraba of Ptolemy, and about 40 Arabian miles from the sea 'Al Kolzom. There is a magnificent temple in the city, like the Colosseum at Rome. However, it is not made of such large stones but burnt bricks and round in the same manner. It has ninety or one hundred doors around it and is arched...upon entering the temple you descend ten or twelve steps of marble, and here and there about the said entrance there stand men who sell jewels and nothing else. Researching ancient Islam and the origin of Mecca, the author asserts that the Ka’ba is currently misplaced, contradicting the Holy Quran and Arabian geography. Although there are many Islamic scholars and Quran research Institutes throughout the world, sadly, none of them have yet verified the exact places, mountains surrounding Ka’ba, and its sacred area according to the Holy Quran.