The Black Stone in the Kaaba's eastern corner marks the beginning and end of each circuit of tawaf. Pilgrims may touch or kiss it when possible. To organise access in the crowded sanctuary, the official Grand Mosque authority says a security officer stands beside the stone and uses a strong rope to guide pilgrims.
This is not a conventional straight queue. A smaller order of approach branches from the larger circulating flow around the Kaaba. Pilgrims who cannot reach the stone may point toward it and continue the rite. Managed access and a ritual alternative coexist to prevent devotion to a single sacred point from stopping the movement of everyone else.