AP PHOTOS: Islamic site near Mecca among few still preserved

Just outside the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia lies one of Islam's most important historical sites — a cave where, according to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad spent time in seclusion, contemplation and self-reflection.

It was here, inside Hira Cave located near the top of a steep hill called Noor Mountain, where Muslims believe God revealed to the prophet the first verses of the Quran through the angel Jebril, or Gabriel as he is named in English.

Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr

Egyptian girls smile and cheer as they take a selfi with their mobile phone celebrating Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, July 17, 2015. 

AP PHOTOS: Minority Muslims in Australia observe Ramadan

In this July 13, 2015, photo, Minhaj Uddin Syed uses a restroom sink to wash before he prays at a temporary musalla (prayer room) set up for the holy month of Ramadan in the central business district of Sydney, Australia. Syed, a Pakistani Muslim living in Australia, is a computer software technician who works around the city and is constantly on the move. Finding a place to pray five times a day during Ramadan can be a challenge as he remains devoted to his faith.  

AP PHOTOS: Indian Muslims observe holy month of Ramadan

In this July 2, 2015, photo, Fakhruddin prays after breaking his Ramadan fast at the shrine of Syed Abdullah Khan, who was a pious Muslim, in Noida, southeast of New Delhi, India. Devoted Indian Muslims, who live in the minority in predominantly Hindu India, pray in this lot which has become their community's makeshift mosque, surrounded by towering residential apartments.

AP PHOTOS: Muslims in Japan observe fasting month of Ramadan

In this July 11, 2015, photo, Yohei Matsuyama, second left, a Japanese Muslim, sits with other Muslim men as they break the Ramadan fast at the Japan Muslim Association in Tokyo. Japanese Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan, where the devoted believe that fasting is an exercise in self-restraint and intended to bring the faithful closer to God.   

AP PHOTOS: Filipino Muslims observe holy month of Ramadan

In this July 9, 2015, photo, Filipino Muslim Munib Dalidig prays at the Marikina Islamic Mosque in Marikina city, in suburban Tumana, east of Manila, Philippines. Dalidig, who is fasting this month for Ramadan, is among the Muslim minority in the Philippines, whose population is predominantly Roman Catholic.