The Hajj pilgrimage has commenced with over 1.5 million Muslims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This explainer details the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, its history, interior, and the Kiswah, its embroidered covering.
Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein cultivated relationships with wealthy and powerful figures in the Middle East while acquiring rare Islamic artifacts for a building on his private Caribbean island, according to millions of pages of US Justice Department documents released in January 2026. Records show Epstein obtained tapestries from the Kaaba in Mecca, tiles from a mosque in Uzbekistan, and designed a blue-and-white striped structure topped with a golden dome that he repeatedly referred to as his 'mosque.' The documents also reveal Epstein met individuals linked to the Saudi royal court and pursued advisory opportunities related to Saudi economic reforms and the Aramco listing.
Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein cultivated relationships with wealthy Middle Eastern figures and acquired rare Islamic artifacts, including tapestries from the Kaaba and tiles from Uzbekistan, for a blue-and-white striped building with a golden dome on his private Caribbean island Little Saint James. The US Justice Department released millions of pages of documents in January 2026 revealing Epstein's interest in Islamic architecture and his pursuit of connections with the Saudi royal court.
