The Zamzam Well, inside the Grand Mosque compound, is the source of the sacred water that millions of pilgrims drink during Hajj and Umrah. According to Islamic tradition, the well sprang up miraculously to save Hajar (Hagar) and her infant son Ishmael when they were left in the desert by Ibrahim. The well has been in continuous use for well over a thousand years.
Pilgrims drink the water during their stay in Mecca and often take quantities home in sealed bottles. Water is distributed free of charge throughout the mosque precincts via drinking stations. The well itself is now enclosed underground in a sub-basement of the mosque; a small museum nearby explains its history and the geology of the spring. Zamzam water is exported commercially to Muslim communities worldwide but is banned from import into some countries due to elevated mineral levels.