Mosques commonly serve as locations for prayer, Ramadan vigils, funeral services, Sufi ceremonies, marriage and business agreements, alms collection and distribution, as well as homeless shelters.[1][3] Historically, mosques were also important centers of elementary education and advanced training in religious sciences. In modern times, they have preserved their role as places of religious instruction and debate, but higher learning now generally takes place in specialized institutions.[1][3] Special importance is accorded to the Great Mosque of Mecca (center of the hajj), Prophet's Mosque in Medina (burial place of Muhammad) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (believed to be the site of Muhammad's ascent to heaven).[1] In the past, many mosques in the Muslim world were built over burial places of Sufi saints and other venerated figures, which has turned them into popular pilgrimage destinations.[1][2]
