What does “gegen den Uhrzeigersinn” mean in German?

In the report, pilgrims walk seven rounds “gegen den Uhrzeigersinn” around the Kaaba. “Uhrzeigersinn” is built from “Uhr” (clock) + “Zeiger” (pointer/hand) + “Sinn” (direction). Put “gegen” (against) in front and you get the opposite turn: counter-clockwise. They circle to the left, not to the right. To say the same direction as a clock, German uses “im Uhrzeigersinn”.

Spoken line: “die Pilger laufen 7 Runden gegen den Uhrzeigersinn die würfelförmige Kaaba” — “the pilgrims walk 7 rounds counter-clockwise around the cube-shaped Kaaba”. The word breaks down clearly: “Uhr” (clock) + “Zeiger” (the hand/pointer) + “Sinn” (here: direction). Together “Uhrzeigersinn” = the way a clock’s hands turn. “gegen” means against, so “gegen den Uhrzeigersinn” = against that way = counter-clockwise. More examples: - “Drehen Sie den Deckel gegen den Uhrzeigersinn.” — Turn the lid counter-clockwise. - “Im Uhrzeigersinn weitergeben, bitte.” — Pass it on clockwise, please. - “Der Kreisverkehr läuft gegen den Uhrzeigersinn.” — The roundabout runs counter-clockwise. Usage note: you will often hear this in instructions — opening a jar, turning a knob, or describing how people or traffic move in a circle.