When Muhammad received his revelation, the Kaaba was under the control of one of the most important tribes of Mecca, the Quraysh. It was used as a shrine for pagan idols, especially al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat, known together as al-Gharaniq (Daughters of God), and Hubal, a marriage god. When Muhammad took control of Mecca he cleaned out the idols and dedicated the Kaaba to God.
Now, non-believers aren't even allowed in the area around Mecca, never mind into the city itself or near the Kaaba. Muslims tend to ignore the degree to which the Kaaba was originally just another pagan temple housing pagan idols and the degree to which Islamic practice mirrors the ancient pagan practices that were part of the worship of those idols. Like with Christianity a few centuries earlier, Islam's popularity and subsequent growth were greatly enhanced by its ability to incorporate local pagan traditions alongside strict orthodoxy.
Above: Miniature of Mohammed re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kaaba. From Jami' al-Tavarikh ("The Universal History" or "Compendium of Chronicles," written by Rashid Al-Din), a manuscript in the Library of the University of Edinburgh; illustrated in Tabriz, Persia, c. 1315.
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